The multiple islands and narrow channels that form the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) complicate snow/ice monitoring, as coarse resolution satellite observations are unable to resolve smaller-scale changes in snow/ice cover. We present the first study showing the utility of the Interactive Multisensor Snow and Ice Mapping System (IMS) 24 km (1997–2018) and 4 km (2004–2018) products to investigate changes in sea ice and snow phenology together in the CAA. While ice break-up and snow retreat are shifting earlier (p>0.05), on par with other Arctic regions, the final summer clearing of ice is shifting later. This, combined with trends towards earlier ice freeze and snow fall (p<0.05), result in shorter open water and snow free seasons in the CAA. Spatial links between sea ice and snow are evident as significant clusters of trends were identified for all phenology parameters. The western regions were dominated by shifts toward shorter snow/ice seasons, while eastern regions tended to exhibit longer cover. Our research highlights the considerable regional and interannual variability in the timing of sea ice and snow advance/retreat within the CAA and emphasizes how the ice and snow dynamics in this complex region are responding to ongoing changing climate conditions.
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