Abstract
Abstract. The brine pore space in sea ice can form complex connected structures whose geometry is critical in the governance of important physical transport processes between the ocean, sea ice, and surface. Recent advances in three-dimensional imaging using X-ray micro-computed tomography have enabled the visualization and quantification of the brine network morphology and variability. Using imaging of first-year sea ice samples at in situ temperatures, we create a new mathematical network model to characterize the topology and connectivity of the brine channels. This model provides a statistical framework where we can characterize the pore networks via two parameters, depth and temperature, for use in dynamical sea ice models. Our approach advances the quantification of brine connectivity in sea ice, which can help investigations of bulk physical properties, such as fluid permeability, that are key in both global and regional sea ice models.
Highlights
The detailed microstructure of sea ice is critical in both governing the movement of fluid between the ocean and the sea ice surface and controlling processes such as ice growth and decay (Thomas and Dieckmann, 2009; Petrich et al, 2006)
We develop a methodology for describing the morphology and variability of brine networks in a vertical column of first-year sea ice
With the definition of the network in place, we introduce terminology which helps describe the evolution of a brine channel as it progresses downwards through an ice sample
Summary
The detailed microstructure of sea ice is critical in both governing the movement of fluid between the ocean and the sea ice surface and controlling processes such as ice growth and decay (Thomas and Dieckmann, 2009; Petrich et al, 2006). The ice becomes permeable to fluid transport at brine volume fractions greater than 5 %, which are found in ice at about −5 ◦C with a salinity of about five parts per thousand (Golden et al, 1998) This rule of thumb is helpful in describing and modeling basic phenomenon, it does not fully capture the spatially and temporally evolving details of the sea ice microstructure. We provide a more topologically complete characterization of sea ice pore structure
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