Long-term tracking of Arctic ice with acoustic observations

The Arctic is often thought of as an empty, desolate place, but it is full of activity and life. That activity ranges from human and animal movements to the growing, melting, and shifting of sea ice throughout the year. Because this region is so remote and inhospitable, most expeditions are short-lived and intermittent and long-term studies of the region are challenging.

Cook et al. obtained real-time and long-term data in the Canadian Arctic by collecting acoustic observations from an installed hydrophone. They collected data over a 12-month period and tied their observations to known cycles in sea ice coverage.

“We listened to the environment in real time to understand how the soundscape changes as the water freezes up in the winter and as the ice breaks up in the summer, and asked how tides, winds, and temperatures impact that soundscape,” said author David Barclay.

The researchers used their data to identify crucial points for ice development during the year. They pinpointed times when the sea ice froze over and broke up and tracked daily cycles due to tidal forces.

The team hopes their detailed results will serve as a demonstration of what acoustic monitoring can accomplish, especially in remote areas.

“Ultimately, having these long-term time series can help us tie acoustic data like power and variability at certain frequencies to wind currents, tides, temperatures, ice thickness, and ice conditions,” said Barclay. “That’s really the connection that we’re ultimately shooting for.”

Source: “Real-time acoustic observations in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago,” by Emmanuelle D. Cook, David R. Barclay, and Clark G. Richards, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (2022). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0009678 .