A tool to evaluate accessibility due to sea-ice cover: a case study of the Weddell Sea, Antarctica
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1916-7831, Brey, Thomas
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6345-2851, Konijnenberg, Rebecca and Teschke, Katharina
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9595-7443
;
Sea ice is the major constraint on human activities in the Southern Ocean. Depending on a vessel's ice class, human mobility may be restricted or even prevented altogether by sea-ice conditions. This may imply limited access to research or monitoring stations, preferred fishing grounds or attractive tourist sites. Here, we introduce a statistical model that evaluates the sea-ice cover with two measures: 1) accessibility (i.e. the probability that a given area is navigable by vessels at a given time) and 2) repeated accessibility (i.e. the probability that a given area is navigable by vessels at a given time and again at least once within a defined timespan). We use daily sea-ice concentration data from 2002 to 2020 to demonstrate this tool and its functioning regarding the spatiotemporal variability of sea-ice cover in the wider Weddell Sea region. These findings reflect known characteristics of sea-ice distribution and dynamics in the Weddell Sea, confirming the functionality of our simple tool for determining repeated accessibility of certain areas. Such a tool may facilitate the planning of research and monitoring activities in the Southern Ocean, as well as in Arctic seas.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1916-7831, Brey, Thomas
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6345-2851, Konijnenberg, Rebecca and Teschke, Katharina
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9595-7443
;
AWI Organizations > Institutes > HIFMB: Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity
