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Polynya data

General description

Technical description

General description

Table name: Polynya data

These tables were prepared by INSROP Project I.4.2 as part of INSROP Phase 2. These table records refer to the center points of polynyas, as included in the Tbl_37 shapefile set, which is a part of the dataset provided by INSROP Project I.4.2.

Dimensions of major polynyas

The polynyas include areas of open water and young ice up to 30 cm thick, as well as zones of very open and open ice with not more than 5 tenths concentration located between the landfast ice boundary and close drifting ice floes. The use of polynyas for shipping depends on their temporary stability, which is estimated by the frequency of occurrence of polynyas (the percentage ratio of the cases with the presence of polynyas to the total number of observations in the region). At the frequency of occurrence of more than 75% the polynyas are considered as recurring polynyas, 50-74% as stable and less than 50% - occasional. Figure 2.1 schematically outlines the location of the regions of polynya formation.

During the pre-satellite period, observations of polynyas were carried out occasionally and belonged predominantly to the period of the maximum development of landfast ice (March-May). Satellite obsevations allowed regular tracing of the development of polynyas from the landfast ice formation to the onset of spring-summer melting. That is why the tables contain data obtained from satellite imagery.

For polynya characteristics (length average width), the ice charts of the scale of 1:5000000 were used.

The statistical characteristics of 18 polynyas were determined from satellite data for the second 10-day period of each month from November to June (11, 12, 1, ... , 6) over the period 1978-1995.

The polynya formation regions included are:

1 - Northern Novozemelskaya

2 - Southern Novozemelskaya

3 - Amderminskaya

4 - Yamalskaya

5 - Ob'-Yeniseyskaya

6 - Central Kara

7 - Western Severozemelskaya

8 - Eastern Severozemelskaya

9 - Northeastern Taimyrskaya

10 - Eastern Taimyrskaya

11 - Anabaro-Lenskya

12 - Western Novosibirskaya

13 - Northern Novosibirskaya

14 - Eastern Novosibirskaya (west)

15 - Eastern Novosibirskaya (east)

16 - Aionskaya

17 - Western Chukotskaya

18 - Eastern Chukotskaya.

Technical description

Table source file name: tbl_38.txt

Path: <NSR_DATA>\icesnow\i_4_2

Table type: DText table.

* Polynya data

144 records, 10 descriptive fields.

Fields: [<Name>] -- <Alias> (type of field)

[Month] -- "Month" (Numeric, no decimals)

[No] -- "Polynya No." (Numeric, no decimals)

[Numyears] -- "Number of observation years" (Numeric, no decimals)

[Freqocc] -- "Frequency of occurrence of polynya (%)" (Numeric, 1 decimal)

[Len_avg_km] -- "Average length (km)" (Numeric, no decimals)

[Len_max_km] -- "Maximum length (km)" (Numeric, no decimals)

[Len_min_km] -- "Minimum length (km)" (Numeric, no decimals)

[Wid_avg_km] -- "Average width (km)" (Numeric, no decimals)

[Wid_max_km] -- "Maximum width (km)" (Numeric, no decimals)

[Wid_min_km] -- "Minimum width (km)" (Numeric, no decimals)