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Ice leads in the eastern Beaufort Sea

By Scott Bachmeier •

Suomi-NPP VIIRS Visible images from 07-11 March [click to play animated GIF | MP4]

A sequence of Suomi-NPP VIIRS Visible images (above) showed the formation of large ice leads in the eastern Beaufort Sea — as well as the growth of a polynya adjacent to the coast near the Alaska/Yukon border — during the 5-day period from 07-11 March 2025.

Suomi-NPP VIIRS Shortwave Infrared images (below) provided a view of the ice leads and polynya during both the nighttime and daytime hours during the 07-11 March period.

Suomi-NPP VIIRS Shortwave Infrared images from 07-11 March [click to play animated GIF | MP4]

Daily composites of Suomi-NPP VIIRS Sea Ice Temperature/Thickness/Age products (source) indicated that the larger ice leads were developing near the gradient of temperature and thickness of old ice in the eastern Beaufort Sea (below).

Daily Suomi-NPP VIIRS Composite Sea Ice Temperature product, from 07-10 March [click to enlarge]

Daily Suomi-NPP VIIRS Composite Sea Ice Thickness product, from 07-10 March [click to enlarge]


Suomi-NPP VIIRS Composite Sea Ice Age product, from 07-10 March [click to enlarge]

In spite of lower spatial resolution and a large satellite viewing angle, the more prominent ice leads (as well as the polynya adjacent to the Alaska/Yukon coast) were also apparent in GOES-18 (GOES-West) Visible images from the CSPP GeoSphere site (below).

GOES-18 Visible images from 07-11 March [click to play MP4 animation]

Comparisons of Ice Stage and Ice Analysis (source) shown below indicated that the 2 largest ice leads and the polynya formed during the 7-day period between 03 March and 10 March.

Ice Stage on 03 March and 10 March [click to enlarge]

Ice analysis on 03 March and 10 March [click to enlarge]

Categories: Arctic, Cryosphere, GOES-18, Suomi NPP, VIIRS