Abstract
Abstract. Ice caves exist in locations where annual average air temperature is higher than 0 °C. An example is Ningwu ice cave, Shanxi Province, the largest ice cave in China. In order to quantitatively investigate the mechanism of formation and preservation of the ice cave, we use the finite-element method to simulate the heat transfer process at this ice cave. There are two major control factors. First, there is the seasonal asymmetric heat transfer. Heat is transferred into the ice cave from outside very inefficiently by conduction in spring, summer and fall. In winter, thermal convection occurs that transfers heat very efficiently out of the ice cave, thus cooling it down. Secondly, ice–water phase change provides a heat barrier for heat transfer into the cave in summer. The calculation also helps to evaluate effects of global warming, tourists, colored lights, climatic conditions, etc. for sustainable development of the ice cave as a tourism resource. In some other ice caves in China, managers have installed airtight doors at these ice caves' entrances with the intention of "protecting" these caves, but this in fact prevents cooling in winter and these cave ices will entirely melt within tens of years.
Highlights
An ice cave is a type of natural cave that contains significant amounts of perennial ice
Ningwu ice cave has been widely reported during the past decade (Gao et al, 2005; Meng et al, 2006), little was known about the processes controlling the formation and preservation of perennial subsurface ice deposits under changing climate conditions (Chen, 2003)
Phase change accompanies the thermal processes. Considering these mechanisms, the results show that (1), starting from a normal ground temperature, a year-round ice body will be formed in the cave in less than a decade, about 5 years in our model (Fig. 4b), and the ice cave temperature will decrease continuously for more than a century, and that (2) the ice cave will reach a stable cyclic state and its temperature will fluctuate within a certain range, less than 1.0 ◦C for Ningwu ice cave
Summary
An ice cave is a type of natural cave that contains significant amounts of perennial ice. To evaluate the impact of changing climatic conditions on cave environments, a better explanation of subsurface heat and mass transfers is necessary (Luetscher et al, 2008). A better explanation of subsurface heat and mass transfers could help to manage ice caves more scientifically. Explanation of the survival of subsurface ice accumulations represents probably the most severe test for models of the magnitude and direction of heat and mass transfers induced by cave air circula-. Shi: Numerical simulation of formation and preservation of Ningwu ice cave, Shanxi, China. Ningwu ice cave has been widely reported during the past decade (Gao et al, 2005; Meng et al, 2006), little was known about the processes controlling the formation and preservation of perennial subsurface ice deposits under changing climate conditions (Chen, 2003).
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