Multiyear ice replenishment in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago: 1997–2013

In the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA), multiyear ice (MYI) replenishment from first‐year ice aging ( CAA MYI‐Oct‐1 ) and Arctic Ocean MYI exchange ( CAA MYI‐exchange ) contribute to the CAA's relatively heavy sea ice conditions at the end of the summer melt season. We estimate these components using RADARSAT and the Canadian Ice Service Digital Archive and explore processes responsible for interannual variability from 1997 to 2013. CAA MYI‐Oct‐1 (52 ± 36 × 10 3 km 2 ) provides a larger contribution than CAA MYI‐exchange (13 ± 11 × 10 3 km 2 ). CAA M YI‐ Oct‐1 represents ∼10% of the amount that occurs in the Arctic Ocean. CAA MYI‐exchange represents ∼50% of Nares Strait MYI export to Baffin Bay and ∼12% of Fram Strait MYI export to the Greenland Sea. CAA MYI‐Oct‐1 exhibits dependence on warmer (cooler) summers that increase (decrease) melt evident from strong relationships to surface air temperature (SAT), albedo and total absorbed solar radiation ( Q total ). CAA MYI‐exchange is influenced by summer sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies over the Beaufort Sea and Canadian Basin which shifts the primary source of CAA MYI‐exchange between less obstructed M'Clure Strait (low SLP anomalies) and the more obstructed Queen Elizabeth Islands (high SLP anomalies). Over the 17‐record, appreciable replenishment occurred for most years from 1997 to 2004, reduced replenishment from 2005 to 2012, and large replenishment in 2013. The reduced replenishment period was associated with positive SAT, negative albedo, and positive Q total anomalies that facilitated more melt and less CAA MYI‐ Oct‐1 , together with high SLP anomalies that facilitated less CAA MYI‐exchange . Large replenishment in 2013 was primarily from CAA MYI‐Oct‐1 attributed to strongly negative SAT and Q total anomalies and strongly positive albedo that impeded melt.