NASA Modis Terra Sat captures huge crack this week

[prokaryotes]

Could only find the news in german (has images)

http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/nasa-satellitenbild-langer-riss-im-eis-der-arktis-vor-groenland-a-900103.html

Maybe someone can point me to the english source or even some analysis?

It is assumed that a storm who passed the area caused this crack.

[PhilDPortsmouth]

It is amazing on ArcticIO - did everyone know about this? Clear at top level and not very clear at first level of zoom but thereafter is incredible.

[frankendoodle]

Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick! That is a very large crack!

And to think I was worried about the pools of water in the Kara/Laptev Seas and the ones off the coast of SZ and FJL. That's a lot of water north of 80N.

[PhilDPortsmouth]

I have nothing of the understanding others here but 2 things strike me.
1 - If it is the the cyclone/low indicated by the cloud patterns that have pulled the ice off the coast it says a lot about the compact-ability, lots of small cracks elsewhere that enable this huge gap (off Queen Elizabeth it must be 20-25km across).
2 - looking at thickness maps http://www7320.nrlssc.navy.mil/hycomARC/navo/arcticictnowcast.gif doesn't this just rip through the thickest ice in the arctic and expose it open water 'from behind'

Hmmm

[J Cartmill]

Similar crack occurred last year
http://lance-modis.eosdis.nasa.gov/imagery/subsets/?subset=Arctic_r04c02.2012134.terra

[Jim Pettit]

FWIW, Espen and others discussed this huge (1000 kilometer plus) crack a few days ago in the "Fragmentation Event. Will it have impact over the summer melt season?" thread . It's an amazing thing no matter what happens to the ice this summer; more than twice as long as the Grand Canyon and at least a few kilometers at its widest. That's not to say it's never happened before--but it is startling nonetheless. I'd love to see an up-close image of it...

[deep octopus]

Yes, similar lead occurred last year at the same time, as just pointed out. Though my facile observation is that this lead is much closer to the CAA shore than last year, in effect putting more area of the ice at risk of mobility.

[OldLeatherneck]

What are the chances that this huge crack will freeze over again, or are we far enough into the melt season that open water will remain??

[ChrisReynolds]

Still sub zero over there. But any new ice growth won't be thick.

This is a coastal flaw lead, winds/tides make them happen all the time.

[Neven]

I'm not merging threads because I'm afraid comments get lost in the process, but I would kindly ask you to take it to the Fragmentation thread for now.