The Electrical Properties of Ice Surfaces
Abstract The surface conductivity of monocrystalline ice was measured as a function of temperature impurity concentration, field-strength, and other variables. At temperature, below about –6°C the surface conductivity was found to follow the Arrhenius equation with an activation energy of 33±2 kcal...
| Published in: | Journal of Glaciology |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1978
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000033402 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000033402 |
| Summary: | Abstract The surface conductivity of monocrystalline ice was measured as a function of temperature impurity concentration, field-strength, and other variables. At temperature, below about –6°C the surface conductivity was found to follow the Arrhenius equation with an activation energy of 33±2 kcal mol −1 (1.43±0.09 eV). Small amounts of impurities contained within the ice increased the surface conductivity and decreased the actuation energy: for HF-doped ice the activation energy was reduced to 10.0 kcal mol −1 (0.44 eV). Mechanical treatment of the ice surface increased the surface conduction. At temperatures above about —6 ° C the surface conductivity increased more rapidly with the rise in temperature; this is explained in terms of the appearance and development of a quasi-liquid layer on the ice surface. The electrical behaviour of sublimed ice surfaces was found to vary at a temperature around —9 ° C. At higher temperature a sharp, instantaneous current increase was observed as evacuation began; this was considered to be caused by the formation of ionic states due to the rapid evaporation of quasi-liquid layers. It was concluded that the temperature above which the ice surface was covered with a quasi-liquid layer lay in the range — 6 to — 9 ° C. |
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