Articles | Volume 22, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2559-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2559-2026
Research article
 | 
25 Aug 2026
Research article |  | 25 Aug 2026

An automated method for polynya detection using a geomorphon algorithm

Mia Hurst and Lars Boehme

Data sets

AMSR2 ASI sea ice concentration data, Antarctic, version 5.4 (NetCDF) (July 2012 - December 2019) C. Melsheimer and G. Spreen https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.898400

miahurst/geomorphon\_method\_polynyas: Geomorphon Pattern Recognition Algorithm for Detecting Polynyas (Version ver\_1) miahurst. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22029238

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Short summary
Polynyas are areas of open water in sea ice that are important for ocean life and climate. We developed a new method to automatically find polynyas using morphological patterns in Antarctic sea ice data. The method reliably detected both large and small polynyas, produced results consistent with existing approaches, and remained accurate despite data uncertainty. This approach offers a promising way to build consistent long-term records and improve future studies of changing polar environments.
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