Break-up of Sea Ice shows the typical retreat of the sea ice cover
from late winter (mid-March) to late summer (mid-September) on a
bi-weekly basis. The dates shown in the legend of the map indicate
the extent of the sea ice cover at those dates.
Map Description
Decay or melt of sea ice begins in spring in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
and over East Newfoundland waters, retreating northward towards
the Labrador coast. June openings appear in the northern portion
of Baffin Bay and along the western coast of Greenland, progressing
eastward and southward during June and July. During that time the
Beaufort Sea begins to show signs of break-up while clearing is
already underway in Hudson Bay.
Break-up continues throughout the summer months, reaching a minimum
extent around mid-September, after which freeze-up begins through
the remainder of September.
[D] Click for larger version, 70 KB Polar bear on ice in Beaufort Sea mid-winter
Sea Ice Animations
Two animations are created for sea ice. Each animation was presented
in two different formats: flash and html. The Atlas of Canada relies
on Macromedia’s technology for the delivery of multimedia
content. The Atlas of Canada media player will attempt to detect
whether you have the necessary software installed, and will give
you notice if you do not. In order to play the animations in flash,
you must install the Macromedia Flash Player. Installation instructions
on Macromedia Flash Player are available at Macromedia Web
site.
- Animation of the Minimum Extent of Sea Ice 1969 to 1998
presents the variation of the minimum extent of ice between each
year for the period 1969 to 1998, with a concentration of 9/10
or greater. A concentration of 9/10 corresponds to at least 90% of the water which is covered by ice. flash
or html
- Animation of the Seasonal Change of Sea Ice presents
a normal ice season in Canadian waters by showing the normal evolution
of sea ice throughout the course of a year. The animation does
not reflect any real observed sea ice season, but rather a 30-year
statistical compilation. flash
or html
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