Iceberg Drift Trajectories from Optical Satellite Data in the Barents Sea

Abstract

Observed iceberg drift trajectories are needed to understand iceberg drift, and to validate ice- berg drift and deterioration models. Herein, drift trajectories of small and medium icebergs are derived from a sequence of optical Sentinel-2, Landsat, and Planet satellite acquisitions over eight days in July 2022 at Severny Island in the Barents Sea. In total, 246 icebergs are tracked visually in consecutive acquisitions over varying timespans. Iceberg melt rates are approximated from above-waterline iceberg area sizes derived from Sentinel-2 near-infrared data. The mean iceberg drift rate is 8.09 ± 6.79 km · d–1. Mean iceberg drift rates correlate moderately in time with mean wind speeds. 14 icebergs could be tracked throughout at least f ive acquisitions. For these 14 icebergs, the mean iceberg melt rate is 0.54 ± 0.3 m · d–1, which is at a similar magnitude as in related studies. Icebergs observed in this study tend to drift and decay faster when entering the open Barents Sea. The accelerated drift and decay impeded tracking icebergs further into the open sea. Nonetheless, this study shows potential of optical satellite data to track the drift and decay of small and medium size during cloud-free weather windows.