Seasonal variability of sediment trap collections in the Northeast Water polynya. Part 1: sea-ice parameters and particle flux

Vertical particle flux was recorded in the Northeast Water polynya (NEW) by means of moored time series sediment traps from August 1992 to July 1993. Traps were deployed with USCGC Polar Sea at four positions in a trough of the polynya. The recorded annual flux varied between 4.2–9.8 g/m2 at 130 m and 26–33 g/m2 at 50 m above the sea bottom. The amount of settling particles in the NEW is controlled to a high degree by the ice regime (e.g., total ice concentration, variability, ice type fraction, snow and the melt period) due to its impact on the production of primary formed particles. By using passive microwave satellite data from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager, it was possible to relate particle flux with total ice concentration and its changes on short (several days) and long term scales for individual sampling periods. In combination with the dry weight of the collected particles, it is possible to examine the relation of ice parameters and its impact on the sedimenting processes in the NEW. Of particular interest is the correlation of three sedimenting periods associated with ice formation in the fall, the effect of the winter polynya based on new ice formation, and the melt period.