Effect of compressive strength on the performance of the NEMO-LIM model in Arctic Sea ice simulation

Satellite records show that the extent and thickness of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean have significantly decreased since the early 1970s. The prediction of sea ice is highly important, but accurate simulation of sea ice variations remains highly challenging. For improving model performance, sensitivity experiments were conducted using the coupled ocean and sea ice model (NEMO-LIM), and the simulation results were compared against satellite observations. Moreover, the contribution ratios of dynamic and thermodynamic processes to sea ice variations were analyzed. The results show that the performance of the model in reconstructing the spatial distribution of Arctic sea ice is highly sensitive to ice strength decay constant (Crhg). By reducing the Crhg constant, the sea ice compressive strength increases, leading to improved simulated sea ice states. The contribution of thermodynamic processes to sea ice melting was reduced due to less deformation and fracture of sea ice with increased compressive strength. Meanwhile, dynamic processes constrained more sea ice to the central Arctic Ocean and contributed to the increases in ice concentration, reducing the simulation bias in the central Arctic Ocean in summer. The root mean square error (RMSE) between modeled and the CryoSat-2/SMOS satellite observed ice thickness was reduced in the compressive strength-enhanced model solution. The ice thickness, especially of multiyear thick ice, was also reduced and matched with the satellite observation better in the freezing season. These provide an essential foundation on exploring the response of the marine ecosystem and biogeochemical cycling to sea ice changes.