Abstract
Arctic sea-ice leads, gaps in the sea-ice cover, serve as critical windows for energy and mass exchange between the ocean and atmosphere. While typically small in area, these openings dominate wintertime heat fluxes and influence cloud formation, new ice growth, and seasonal melt patterns. This poster presents a summary of recent research on the formation, climatic impact, satellite detection, and model representation of Arctic sea-ice leads.
Field and satellite observations show that turbulent heat fluxes over leads can be up to 100 times greater than over adjacent sea ice. Lead activity varies regionally and seasonally and plays a measurable role in sea-ice dynamics. By accounting for the intensified energy exchange through leads, climate models achieve better agreement with observed Arctic surface temperatures and ice thickness patterns. Increased lead formation in winter and spring is strongly associated with increased summer sea-ice loss, underscoring the role of leads in seasonal Arctic ice dynamics. As global warming drives Arctic sea-ice retreat and thinning, accurately detecting and representing leads remains essential for understanding polar feedback mechanisms and forecasting Arctic climate evolution.
