Table 2 Dates for ice arch formation and break down from 1979 to 2019. Arch days indicate the number of days that Nares Strait was continuously blocked by ice arches.

From: A Study of the North Water Polynya Ice Arch using Four Decades of Satellite Data

Sea-son

N. Arch Form

S. Arch Form

Break-down

Arch Days

Sea-son

N. Arch Form

S. Arch Form

Break-down

Arch Days

2019

16 Feb

20 Mar

32

1999

25 Jan

10 Jul

166

2018

04 Mar

30 Jun

118

1998

09 Jan

07 Mar

22 Jun

164

2017

23 Jan

11 May

108

1997

04 Mar

13 Mar

22 Jul

140

2016

05 Dec 15

07 Jul

215

1996

01 Feb

28 Jul

178

2015

14 Feb

16 Jul

152

1995

16 Mar

19 May

64

2014

09 Dec 13

15 Jan

10 Jul

213

1994

23 Dec 93

25 Mar

14 Jun

173

2013

08 Nov 12

10 Jul

243

1993

27 Jan

06 Feb

10

2012

06 Dec 11

29 Jun

206

1992

05 Dec 91

21 Jul

229

2011

 

31 Jan

18 Jun

138

1991

05 Apr

12 Jul

98

2010

15 Mar

16 Apr

32

1990

20 Mar

3 May

44

2009

09 Jan

12 Jul

184

1989

09 Dec

27 Jul

230

2008

01 Apr

07 Jun

67

1988

06 Dec 87

15 Dec 87

13 Jul

220

2007

0

1987

20 Jan

16 Jul

177

2006

08 Feb

30 Jun

142

1986

24 Dec 85

12 Jul

200

2005

03 Dec 04

06 Dec 04

15 Jul

224

1985

01 Dec 84

12 Jul

223

2004

14 Feb

09 Mar

02 Jul

139

1984

14 Nov 83

15 Feb

21 Jul

250

2003

25 Feb

01 Jul

126

1983

27 Jan

01 Feb

11 Jul

165

2002

10 Dec 01

01 Jul

203

1982

06 Apr

05 Jul

90

2001

03 Jan

11 Jan

12 Jul

190

1981

20 Nov 80

04 Dec 80

28 Jul

250

2000

14 Oct 99

26 Oct 99

11 Jul

271

1980

11 Nov 79

17 Sep

310

Note: ± 2 days for dates, ± 4 for arch days

1979*

05 Nov 78

05 Nov 78

04 Jan

02 Aug

270+

Average 1979 to 2019

Standard Deviation (Days)

01 Jan

41.9

20 Jan

47.7

28 Jun

38.8

161

76.7

  1. *For the 1979 season an initial southern ice arch was observed for 05 Nov 1978. Earlier TIROS-N imagery is not available to determine the date the ice arch formed. This initial ice arch broke up on 28 Nov 1978, but Nares Strait remained blocked by a northern ice arch. A second southern ice arch consolidated on 04 Jan 1979.