Nares Strait, situated between northwest Greenland and Ellesmere Island
is a major sea ice export path from the Arctic Ocean. One of the
narrowest parts of the strait --- Kennedy Channel --- is host to several
islands. These obstacles' impact on the ice flow along the Strait has
yet to be investigated. Here we show that during autumn, these islands
can interrupt the relatively homogenous sea ice flow through Kennedy
Channel, carried by wind and water currents, and shield downstream
regions from becoming ice-covered, resulting in the formation of
hitherto unknown transient polynyas, whose size and extent were
correlated with the wind's strength and direction along Kennedy Channel.
These polynyas likely impact the regional meteorology and oceanography
through enhanced air-sea fluxes of heat, moisture, momentum, and carbon
dioxide. The presence of open water may also impact the complex and
productive regional ecosystem.