Tracking Multiyear Sea-Ice Variation in the Arctic Ocean Over Decades With Microseism

Abstract

We construct a linear model of microseism power as a function of sea-ice concentration and ocean-wave activity with a seismic station located on northern Ellesmere Island. The influence of wind-ice-ocean interactions on microseism has been taken into account. We find the increase in microseism power over the last 32 years reflects the long-term loss of sea ice and increasing ocean-wave activity in the Arctic Ocean likely associated with climate change. We further assess model performance to determine a representative region over which sea-ice concentration and ocean-wave activity most directly influence the microseism power. The seismological methods developed here suggest that there is the potential to augment or refine observations of sea-ice conditions obtained from satellites and from in-situ observations. Seismological methods may thus help determine properties such as sea-ice thickness, which are less amenable to conventional observations, under a changing climate, particularly in remote areas like the High Arctic.