Abstract
Sea ice thickness is one of the most important geophysical parameters for understanding formation and variability of the global climate system. It is also important from the engineering point of view, because it is one of the most dominant parameters which influence on the ice load exerted on ships and structures. However limited data is available at present. The authors have conducted the observations of sea ice thickness onboard Antarctic research vessel "Shirase" and patrol vessel "Soya" using the electromagnetic-inductive (EM) method. The principle for observing sea ice thickness by the EM method was described in detail. The authors reported the distributions of the sea ice thickness of the land-fast ice in Lutzow-Holm bay, Antarctica and the pack ice in the Sea of Okhotsk.
