| Abstract | As part of the environmental monitoring program that supported drilling operations from the Molikpaq at the Amauligak I-65 location during the winter of 1985-86, information about the ice conditions and movements round the structure were collected on an hourly basis. These observations included ice thickness, ice type, partial concentrations, floe sizes and drift rate and direction. In this paper the data were used to assess the flux of ice passing a fixed location. Of particular interest was the amount of multi-year ice present and the relative exposure of the Molikpaq to multi-year ice interactions. In addition to the hourly ice observations, which were representative of a zone within a several km radius of the Molikpaq, detailed observations and video records of ice interactions with the structure were also made. Monthly Canadian Ice Service regional ice charts and drift buoys provided regional data. The various sources of ice data are compared to put the 1985-86 data into a broader context. The total flux of ice through the 2 km radius zone of observation was about 1000 km over the 240 day observation period, of which 30 km was multi-year ice. The flux of multi-year ice that actually interacted with the 100 m wide Molikpaq was about 10 km, the majority of which was second-year ice in November. |
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