Thermodynamic processes of lake ice and landfast ice around Zhongshan Station, Antarctica

• Main Authors: Ruibo, Lei, Zhijun, Li, Zhanhai, Zhang, Yanfeng, Cheng
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC 2011
• Subjects: Cryosphere; Oceans; Zhongshan; Zhongshan Station; Advances in Polar Science; Antarc*; Antarctica; Polar Science; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/2423/; http://library.arcticportal.org/2423/1/A20110302.pdf

Thermodynamic processes of ice in three lakes and landfast ice around Zhongshan Station, Antarctica, were observed in 2006. The mass balance of lake ice was compared with that of landfast ice. The responses of lake ice and sea ice temperatures to the local surface air temperature are explored. Vertical conductive heat fluxes at varying depths of lake ice and sea ice were derived from vertical temperature profiles. The freeze up of lake ice and landfast ice occurred from late February to early March. Maximum lake ice thicknesses occurred from late September to early October, with values of 156{177 cm. The maximum sea ice thicknesses of 167{174 cm occurred relatively later, from late October to late November. Temporal variations of lake ice and landfast ice internal temperatures lagged those of air temperatures. High-frequency variations of air temperature were evidently attenuated by ice cover. The temporal lag and the high-frequency attenuation were greater for sea ice than for lake ice, and more distinct for the deeper ice layer than for the upper ice layer. This induced a smaller conductive heat flux through sea ice than lake ice, at the same depth and under the same atmospheric forcing, and a smoother fluctuation in the conductive heat flux for the deeper ice layer than for the upper ice layer. Enhanced desalination during the melt season increased the melting point temperature within sea ice, making it different from fresh lake ice.