Sastrugi sea ice than on multiyear ice. First-year ice is smoother than multiyear ice, which allows the wind to pass uniformly over the surface without topographic obstructions. Except during the melt season, snow is dry and light in climates cold enough for sea ice, allowing the snow to be easily blown and create sastrugi parallel to the wind direction. The locations of sastrugi are fixed by March in the northern hemisphere and may be linked to the formation of melt ponds. Melt ponds are more likely to form in the depressions between zastrugi on first-year ice. Sastrugi Sastrugi, or zastrugi, are
Surface acoustic wave sensor IDT. In some devices, a mechanical absorber or reflector is added between the IDTs and the edges of the substrate to prevent interference patterns or reduce insertion losses, respectively. The acoustic wave travels across the surface of the device substrate to the other interdigitated transducer, converting the wave back into an electric signal by the piezoelectric effect. Any changes that were made to the mechanical wave will be reflected in the output electric signal. As the characteristics of the surface acoustic wave can be modified by changes in the surface properties of the device substrate, sensors can be designed to