Observations of Medium-Scale Features Along the Seasonal Ice Edge in the Bering Sea

Abstract

During winter 1974–75, band-like ice features were observed via satellite in the Bering Sea water-ice transition zone during periods of off-ice winds. These were several tens of kilometers long, spaced from 6–12 km apart, and were generally oriented from 40–90° left of the surface wind direction. Formation of these features appears to be related to atmospheric convective processes; such features may he significant indicators of transition zone ice dynamics.