What's lacking are detailed records of how that flux changes throughout the year here, data that climate modelers badly need. McPhee says he's been gathering data here only 14 days, but he's already seeing some interesting features. The boundary layer is much less salty than he expected, suggesting that the ice melt last summer was more extensive than in the past, releasing more fresh water into the system. In the past, he says, researchers seeking to set up ice stations at this time of year had few problems finding ice floes 3 or more meters thick. Summer melting might reduce the floe's thickness by 60 or 70 centimeters.
Some equipment is set up on ice half a meter thick.
McPhee's display shows a sharp temperature spike just below the boundary layer - the leftovers from summer's warming. That's a significant amount of heat. It's enough to melt 80 or 90 centimeters of ice over a summer. The thickness of the ice is an obvious signal. One thing he'll be looking for this winter, he says, is how thoroughly storm-generated turbulence mixes that leftover warmer water into the boundary layer, which he expects to extend to 45 to 50 meters during the winter.