Helicopter-borne electromagnetic (HEM) induction sea-ice thickness data 2004–2009 (excluding 2007), between Canada and the North Pole, demonstrate little variability with the exception of significant thinning in 2008. 2004 had a modal thickness of ~3.8 m; 2005, ~4.3 m; 2006, ~4.3 m; 2008, ~2.6 m; and 2009 recovered back to ~3.4 m. Reduced ice thicknesses in 2008 may be attributed to the absence of the Lincoln Sea polynya and associated arch, which typically forms in mid-winter, inhibiting ice export. Preconditioning in 2008 potentially could have resulted in another record low ice extent; however, atmospheric circulation was weaker therefore reducing ice export. Interannual and seasonal sea-ice variability in the Arctic remains poorly understood, particularly the mechanisms for a partial recovery of sea-ice conditions in 2009 following dramatic reductions in ice extent (2007) and thickness (2008). Factors contributing to these conditions may be better understood by analyzing sea-ice dynamics between Canada and the North Pole, a region located in the Transpolar Drift System where sea ice from the Beaufort Sea and Siberian Sea is either exported via Fram Strait or recirculated producing perennial sea ice. This is an important region because shear zones develop between the fast-flowing central Arctic sea ice and the semi-stable landfast-like ice in the Lincoln Sea. The landfast-like characteristics of this region may play an important role in producing really thick ice along the shear zones. The position and gradient of ice thickness in this region in addition to the formation and maintenance of the Lincoln Sea polynya may be an important factor in the reduction of sea-ice thickness experienced in 2008 and the recovery in 2009. HEM sea-ice thickness data have been collected for the study region, between Canada and the North Pole, and will be analyzed in conjunction with EnviSAT ASAR imagery in order to characterize thickness gradients, position of shear zones and the formation of the Lincoln Sea polynya, all important aspects of ice dynamics in the region.