The relationship between the permeability and liquid water content of polycrystalline temperate ice
Abstract To better constrain meltwater transport and ice viscosity in temperate glaciers, particularly in ice stream shear margins, we use a custom permeameter to study the untested model relationship between the permeability of temperate ice and its liquid water content. The permeability of lab-mad...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2023
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.91 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143023000916 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/jog.2023.91 2024-03-03T08:45:55+00:00 The relationship between the permeability and liquid water content of polycrystalline temperate ice Fowler, Jacob R. Iverson, Neal R. National Science Foundation 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.91 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143023000916 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Journal of Glaciology page 1-9 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 Earth-Surface Processes journal-article 2023 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.91 2024-02-08T08:41:42Z Abstract To better constrain meltwater transport and ice viscosity in temperate glaciers, particularly in ice stream shear margins, we use a custom permeameter to study the untested model relationship between the permeability of temperate ice and its liquid water content. The permeability of lab-made ice of two mean grain diameters (1.8 and 4.2 mm) is measured, and water content is controlled with the ice salinity and measured calorimetrically. Fluorescein dye is added to through-flowing, chilled water to highlight flow pathways through the ice after experiments. As predicted by a simple model, permeability increases with approximately the square of the water content and by about three orders of magnitude across water contents of 0.1–4.4%. However, permeability values are less than those of the model by average factors of 2.6 and 4.1 for the finer and coarser ice, respectively. This discrepancy is likely due to tortuous, truncated or air-clogged veins. The order-of-magnitude agreement between measured and modeled values may indicate that reduced permeability from these factors is nearly compensated by preferential flow in oversized veins that are isolated or arborescent. Both kinds of preferred flow pathways are observed but the latter only in fine-grained ice at water contents > 2%. Article in Journal/Newspaper Journal of Glaciology Cambridge University Press Journal of Glaciology 1 9 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth-Surface Processes |
spellingShingle |
Earth-Surface Processes Fowler, Jacob R. Iverson, Neal R. The relationship between the permeability and liquid water content of polycrystalline temperate ice |
topic_facet |
Earth-Surface Processes |
description |
Abstract To better constrain meltwater transport and ice viscosity in temperate glaciers, particularly in ice stream shear margins, we use a custom permeameter to study the untested model relationship between the permeability of temperate ice and its liquid water content. The permeability of lab-made ice of two mean grain diameters (1.8 and 4.2 mm) is measured, and water content is controlled with the ice salinity and measured calorimetrically. Fluorescein dye is added to through-flowing, chilled water to highlight flow pathways through the ice after experiments. As predicted by a simple model, permeability increases with approximately the square of the water content and by about three orders of magnitude across water contents of 0.1–4.4%. However, permeability values are less than those of the model by average factors of 2.6 and 4.1 for the finer and coarser ice, respectively. This discrepancy is likely due to tortuous, truncated or air-clogged veins. The order-of-magnitude agreement between measured and modeled values may indicate that reduced permeability from these factors is nearly compensated by preferential flow in oversized veins that are isolated or arborescent. Both kinds of preferred flow pathways are observed but the latter only in fine-grained ice at water contents > 2%. |
author2 |
National Science Foundation |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Fowler, Jacob R. Iverson, Neal R. |
author_facet |
Fowler, Jacob R. Iverson, Neal R. |
author_sort |
Fowler, Jacob R. |
title |
The relationship between the permeability and liquid water content of polycrystalline temperate ice |
title_short |
The relationship between the permeability and liquid water content of polycrystalline temperate ice |
title_full |
The relationship between the permeability and liquid water content of polycrystalline temperate ice |
title_fullStr |
The relationship between the permeability and liquid water content of polycrystalline temperate ice |
title_full_unstemmed |
The relationship between the permeability and liquid water content of polycrystalline temperate ice |
title_sort |
relationship between the permeability and liquid water content of polycrystalline temperate ice |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.91 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143023000916 |
genre |
Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology page 1-9 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.91 |
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Journal of Glaciology |
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1 |
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9 |
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1792501593908707328 |