Sea ice concentration

Sea ice concentration is a useful variable for climatescientists and nautical navigators. It is defined as the area ofsea ice relative to the total at a given point in the ocean.This article will deal primarily with its determination from remote sensing measurements. Sea ice concentration is a useful variable for climatescientists and nautical navigators. It is defined as the area ofsea ice relative to the total at a given point in the ocean.This article will deal primarily with its determination from remote sensing measurements. Sea ice concentration helps determine a number of other important climatevariables. Since the albedo of ice is much higher than that of water,ice concentration will regulate insolation in the polar oceans.When combined with ice thickness, it determinesseveral other important fluxes between the air and sea,such as salt and fresh-water fluxes between the polar oceans(see for instance bottom water) as well asheat transfer between the atmosphere.Maps of sea ice concentration can be used to determineice area andice extent, both of which are importantmarkers of climate change. Ice concentration charts are also used by navigators to determinepotentially passable regions—see icebreaker.