Heat and Mass Transfer in Sea Ice

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Introduction Sea ice is a boundary layer that mediates interactions between high-latitude oceans and the overlying atmosphere (Sea Ice). Heat and mass transport in sea ice underpin two well-known effects of sea ice: the ice-albedo feedback (Albedo, Energy Exchange over Snow and Ice Surfaces) and the effect of brine exclusion on thermohaline circulation (Dieckmann and Hellmer, 2003). We here concentrate on the underlying mechanisms of the heat and mass transfer and the relevant ice properties. This short article is by no means exhaustive; for discussion of the connections with large-scale forcing and impacts, good starting points are the books of Wadhams (2000) and Thomas and Dieckmann (2003). Related processes not discussed here include sediment entrainment and transport by sea ice (e.g., Eicken et al., 2005) and the deposition of particulate matter from melting sea ice (Leventer, 2003). The transfer of heat in sea ice is relevant to ice formation, persistence and decay, and, through the net surface energy balance, on the response of sea ice to changes in climate forcing (Thinning of Arctic Sea Ice). Mass transfer in sea ice relates mainly to the retention and passage of salts, gases, meltwater, pollutants, and biomass. The transfer of heat and mass are coupled. Sea ice is a porous