Lincoln Sea

Lincoln Sea

The Lincoln Sea is a body of water in the Arctic Ocean, stretching from Cape Columbia in Canada to Cape Morris Jesup in Greenland. All year round, it is covered by sea ice, which is the thickest sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, up to 15 meters thick. The depth of the water ranges from 100 m to 300 m. Most water and ice from the Lincoln Sea flow into the Robeson Channel, the northernmost part of the Nares Strait. The sea was named after Robert Todd Lincoln, then US Secretary of War, who travelled to Lady Franklin Bay on Adolphus W. Greely's Arctic expedition. Located on the Lincoln Sea coast, Alert is Canada's northernmost station and the only inhabited place in the area. Severe ice conditions in the Lincoln Sea all year round have made oceanographic measurements almost impossible. Prior to the 1980s, the only attempts at ice island sampling were low-flying aircraft and ground-based observations. Later, in 2004 and 2005, electromagnetic measurements from helicopters were used to gain insight into the thickness of sea ice in the Lincoln Sea and surrounding waters. Between 3.9 and 4.2 m thick, perennial ice dominates south of 84°N. The first-year ice thickness of 0.9 to 2.2 m indicates refreezing of the Lincoln Polynya ice. These measurements coincide with satellite radar images and electromagnetic observations on the ground. The drifting buoys showed sea ice drifting southwards towards Ellesmere Island and Nares Strait.