Sea Ice Production data set in the Arctic Ocean

High ice production in coastal polynyas over the continental shelves in the Arctic Ocean is responsible for the formation of cold saline water, which contributes to the maintenance of the Arctic Ocean halocline. The accurate detection of coastal polynyas, including an estimate of thin ice thickness, is essential for the estimation of sea ice production. We have developed an algorithm that estimates thin ice thickness using Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) data in the Arctic Ocean. Detection and estimation of sea ice thicknesses of <0.15 m are based on the SSM/I 85 and 37 GHz polarization ratios (PR85 and PR37) through a comparison with sea ice thicknesses estimated from the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) data in the three different Arctic coastal polynyas. Thus, for the entire Arctic Ocean, the algorithm can be used for the detection of coastal polynyas and for the estimation of sea ice production through combination with heat-flux calculation. We provide the first circumpolar mapping of sea ice production in coastal polynyas over the entire Arctic Ocean.