ABSTRACT
Sea ice interacts thermodynamically with both the atmosphere and ocean, giving rise to a climate over the polar ocean that is more characteristic of the continental ice sheets than of a marine environment. The ice is then in thermodynamic equilibrium with its environment and ice thicker than equilibrium will experience net annual thinning while ice thinner than equilibrium will undergo net growth. Because sea ice appears to be an integral part of the global climate system, there are numerous questions that need to be answered regarding its long term response to various environmental factors. In marginal seas where the ice edge is not confined by land, ice concentration patterns are complex and can vary rapidly with time. In areas of seasonal ice the thickness would increase smoothly inward from the edge, while in areas of perennial ice the thickness within a particular climatic regime would be essentially constant. Shorefast ice occurs along most coasts in the Arctic and Antarctic.
