Natural convection during solidification of an alloy from above with application to the evolution of sea ice
We describe a series of laboratory experiments in which aqueous salt solutions were cooled and solidified from above. These solutions serve as model systems of metallic castings, magma chambers and sea ice. As the solutions freeze they form a matrix of ice crystals and interstitial brine, called a m...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1997
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022112097006022 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022112097006022 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0022112097006022 2024-05-19T07:48:18+00:00 Natural convection during solidification of an alloy from above with application to the evolution of sea ice WETTLAUFER, J. S. WORSTER, M. GRAE HUPPERT, HERBERT E. 1997 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022112097006022 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022112097006022 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Journal of Fluid Mechanics volume 344, page 291-316 ISSN 0022-1120 1469-7645 journal-article 1997 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022112097006022 2024-04-25T06:51:18Z We describe a series of laboratory experiments in which aqueous salt solutions were cooled and solidified from above. These solutions serve as model systems of metallic castings, magma chambers and sea ice. As the solutions freeze they form a matrix of ice crystals and interstitial brine, called a mushy layer. The brine initially remains confined to the mushy layer. Convection of brine from the interior of the mushy layer begins abruptly once the depth of the layer exceeds a critical value. The principal path for brine expelled from the mushy layer is through ‘brine channels’, vertical channels of essentially zero solid fraction, which are commonly observed in sea ice and metallic castings. By varying the initial and boundary conditions in the experiments, we have been able to determine the parameters controlling the critical depth of the mushy layer. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that brine expulsion is initially determined by a critical Rayleigh number for the mushy layer. The convection of salty fluid out of the mushy layer allows additional solidification within it, which increases the solid fraction. We present the first measurements of the temporal evolution of the solid fraction within a laboratory simulation of growing sea ice. We show how the additional growth of ice within the layer affects its rate of growth. Article in Journal/Newspaper Sea ice Cambridge University Press Journal of Fluid Mechanics 344 291 316 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
We describe a series of laboratory experiments in which aqueous salt solutions were cooled and solidified from above. These solutions serve as model systems of metallic castings, magma chambers and sea ice. As the solutions freeze they form a matrix of ice crystals and interstitial brine, called a mushy layer. The brine initially remains confined to the mushy layer. Convection of brine from the interior of the mushy layer begins abruptly once the depth of the layer exceeds a critical value. The principal path for brine expelled from the mushy layer is through ‘brine channels’, vertical channels of essentially zero solid fraction, which are commonly observed in sea ice and metallic castings. By varying the initial and boundary conditions in the experiments, we have been able to determine the parameters controlling the critical depth of the mushy layer. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that brine expulsion is initially determined by a critical Rayleigh number for the mushy layer. The convection of salty fluid out of the mushy layer allows additional solidification within it, which increases the solid fraction. We present the first measurements of the temporal evolution of the solid fraction within a laboratory simulation of growing sea ice. We show how the additional growth of ice within the layer affects its rate of growth. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
WETTLAUFER, J. S. WORSTER, M. GRAE HUPPERT, HERBERT E. |
spellingShingle |
WETTLAUFER, J. S. WORSTER, M. GRAE HUPPERT, HERBERT E. Natural convection during solidification of an alloy from above with application to the evolution of sea ice |
author_facet |
WETTLAUFER, J. S. WORSTER, M. GRAE HUPPERT, HERBERT E. |
author_sort |
WETTLAUFER, J. S. |
title |
Natural convection during solidification of an alloy from above with application to the evolution of sea ice |
title_short |
Natural convection during solidification of an alloy from above with application to the evolution of sea ice |
title_full |
Natural convection during solidification of an alloy from above with application to the evolution of sea ice |
title_fullStr |
Natural convection during solidification of an alloy from above with application to the evolution of sea ice |
title_full_unstemmed |
Natural convection during solidification of an alloy from above with application to the evolution of sea ice |
title_sort |
natural convection during solidification of an alloy from above with application to the evolution of sea ice |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1997 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022112097006022 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022112097006022 |
genre |
Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Sea ice |
op_source |
Journal of Fluid Mechanics volume 344, page 291-316 ISSN 0022-1120 1469-7645 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022112097006022 |
container_title |
Journal of Fluid Mechanics |
container_volume |
344 |
container_start_page |
291 |
op_container_end_page |
316 |
_version_ |
1799488841222979584 |