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Thermal evolution of permeability and microstructure in sea ice
Author(s) -
Golden K. M.,
Eicken H.,
Heaton A. L.,
Miner J.,
Pringle D. J.,
Zhu J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2007gl030447
Subject(s) - sea ice growth processes , sea ice , geology , sea ice thickness , atmospheric sciences , earth science , environmental science , cryosphere , oceanography
The fluid permeability k of sea ice constrains a broad range of processes, such as the growth and decay of seasonal ice, the evolution of summer ice albedo, and biomass build‐up. Such processes are critical to how sea ice and associated ecosystems respond to climate change. However, studies of k and its dependence on brine porosity ϕ and microstructure are sparse. Here we present a multifaceted theory for k (ϕ) which closely captures laboratory and field data. X‐ray computed tomography provides an unprecedented look at the brine phase and its connectivity. We find that sea ice displays universal transport properties remarkably similar to crustal rocks, yet over a much narrower temperature range. Our results yield simple parameterizations for fluid transport in terms of temperature and salinity, and permit more realistic representations of sea ice in global climate and biological models.