Continuous observations of sea-ice and its snow cover are crucial to understand key
processes and predict changes in the polar regions. In the pack-ice zone of the Southern
Ocean, gathering these data is most challenging due to logistical constraints. In
contrast, immobile sea ice fastened to the coast and ice shelves around Antarctica is
relatively easy to probe from nearby coastal stations. During IPY 2007/08, several international
partners grouped together in the Antarctic Fast Ice Network (AFIN) to provide
the scientific community with continuous observations of fast-ice areas around
the Antarctic coastline.
Since 2010/11, we contribute to AFIN with a suite of measurements on the seasonal
fast ice of Atka Bay, in the eastern Weddell Sea. Through its geographical location near
the Ekström Ice Shelf, the fast ice is influenced by ocean-ice shelf interaction and is generally
covered with a thick and highly variable snow cover. Here we present the concept
and selected results of our ongoing monitoring program, where we combine traditional
sea-ice measurements (drillings, coring, snow pits) with automated
stations/buoys and remote sensing by satellites (MODIS, SAR)