New and improved NWP animation

Last week I posted Animation 4: McClure Strait, an animation of the Northwest Passage, showing the breaking off of large ice floes at the western end of the ice bridge that is blocking McClure Strait and Melville Sound. Meanwhile the cracking and breaking of ice is going on on all sides, McClintock Channel included, and so I've decided to step up the effort and produce a more detailed animation of this area.

If weather conditions permit it, I'll be updating this animation regularly, as there is something new to see every day, so be sure to check the blog post. The images are of course from MODIS.

Here's the map I've made that shows the more important names for the Northwest Passage routes:

 

And here's the animation (I've decided not to rotate it after all). Remember, focus on one part of the area instead of trying to take it all in. The animation is in a loop, so you have all the time you want:

The cracks are showing much better than before. The ice floes are visibly being transported out of McClure Strait and Parry Channel respectively. The only questions remaining are: when will the ice bridge break up completely and when will the NWP direct route become navigable? Could be extremely early this year.

Update July 6th: added day 186.

Update July 8th: added day 188 (big chunk breaking off in the lower/eastern part of the ice bridge). I'm leaving a few days out, making the image file smaller, so I can add more images in the coming 10-15 days.

Update July 11th: added day 191, finally a reasonably clear picture. The ice is breaking everywhere. Hopefully the clouds disappear soon.

Comments

[Nick Barnes]

For a handy map giving names of all the islands, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Arctic_Archipelago

For real topo maps at 1:1,000,000, see http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/archives/imw

Those are handy for identifying smaller channels, islands, capes, and other features by name. I have a vague notion to use those to make a slippy web map. But life is too short.

[Neven]

Nick, how do you like the new animation? Any wishes? :-)

[aaaaaa]

Thanks for the animation, if the Nares strait and the Lancaster sound coule be included, that would be great.

[Neven]

Arcticseaice (like the name!), I zoomed in on Melville Sound and McClure Strait so the cracks would be more visible. Now that the ice has broken up completely, I might zoom out again to show the transport of the floes. Thanks for the advice.

[Nick Barnes]

This is fine. What we need is a crowd-sourced ice movement web app ("click on the same floe in both of these pictures"). If only I had time....

[Neven]

If only I had time....

Come on, Nick. You've cleaned up enough of the mess over at GISS. ;-)

But seriously, some sort of database where you can pick a region and time span and then have an animation displayed would be really cool (but quite broadband intensive as well), preferably two animations next to each other which makes it possible to compare for instance Nares Strait 2010 with Nares Strait 2007.

[Artful Dodger]

The North West Passage is now nearly open. After a period of steady winds, the North side of the Channel is nearly continuously clear, save for a few short sections of >50 concentration. Today's MODIS image is mostly overcast, so here's another graphic:

ftp://ftp-projects.zmaw.de/seaice/NEAR_REAL_TIME/Arc_latest_large.png

[Neven]

From what I can see on today's MODIS image you are right, Artful Dodger: all or most of the ice has been pushed to the south. Still not clear enough for navigation, but getting there.

Hopefully this high pressure area stays for a while over the Canadian Archipelago so things clear up and we finally get to see how things looks in the NWP.