May 29, 2021 - Ice in Kotzebue Sound

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   Ice in Kotzebue Sound
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   On May 26, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
   (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of
   spring melt affecting the ice-filled waters between western Alaska,
   United States and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, eastern Russia.

   Bits of ice float freely in the mostly-open waters of the Bering Strait
   while fast ice clings to the Russian shoreline. Kotzebue Sound,
   situated between Seward Peninsula (south) and mainland Alaska (north)
   remains mostly ice-covered although a wide fracture indicating the
   start of melt appears near the town of Kotzebue.

   The melt date Kotzebue Sound is particularly important to the native
   people who rely on an persistent and reliable ice for ice fishing and
   seal hunting, which are vital for subsistence and their indigenous way
   of life. Elders in the town recall traditional ice melt dates much
   later than recent years, and ice as much as five feet thick not too
   many years ago. Early ice melts in recent years have severely limited
   fishing and hunting. In 2020 there were only five safe hunt dates in
   the spring. The thickness of winter ice, which may be as low as one
   foot in recent years, also shortens the season for ice fishing.

   The retention of ice in Kotzebue Sound may bring a more favorable
   spring to the indigenous citizens of the region this spring. The Sea
   Ice Outlook for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters published on
   May 27 by the National Weather Service, Anchorage, Alaska, states,
   “From the Bering Strait northward in to the Chukchi Sea, expect a more
   normal breakup, possible even a little delayed from the quicker
   breakups of the past few years.” The forecast for the Kotzebue Sound
   reads, “Sea ice within Kotzebue Sound may no longer be shorefast during
   the second week of June. Less than 3 tenths coverage is expected during
   the 4th week of June. Ice-free conditions are likely in the first week
   of July”.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Terra
   Date Acquired: 5/26/2021
   Resolutions:  1km (431.9 KB),  500m (3.9 MB),  250m (2.3 MB)
   Bands Used: 1,4,3
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2021-05-29
 
