Sea-ice production and transport of pollutants in the Laptev Sea, 1979–1993

Pollutants such as radionuclides can be incorporated into ice formed in shallow waters of the marginal seas, by suspension freezing, including frazil- and anchor-ice formation. This ice thickens through the winter and can survive the summer melt to eventually be pushed into the perennial ice zone and thus be transported long distances. After a few years, when the ice finally melts, these radionuclides can be re-released in biologically rich waters. We estimate that a mean of 256 000 km2 of sea ice is produced annually in the shallow water area of the Laptev Sea during the October freeze-up and in the flaw lead during winter, accounting for approx. 20% of the total ice area fluxing through the Fram Strait per year.