Abstract
Mesoscale eddies, generated by lateral gradients in salinity and
temperature in the Arctic marginal ice zone (MIZ), are known to modulate
the melting of sea ice in this region. Yet, it remains unclear if eddies
also modify sea ice growth during the freezing season. Here, we use a
set of idealized simulations to explore the sea ice growth above an
eddying ocean. In the presence of eddies, mixing of the surface
temperature and salinity fields induce heterogeneity in the heat and
salt fluxes at the ice-ocean interface, ultimately imprinting
heterogeneity on the sea ice thickness. A stronger eddy field imprints
more heterogeneity in the sea ice thickness. More heterogeneity in the
sea ice pack would likely impact the current and future evolution of the
sea ice conditions in the Arctic, where a rapid transition towards an
open-ocean regime is ongoing.