ANTARCTIC LANDFAST SEA ICE: THE ROLE OF PLATELET ICE

Platelet ice is the name given to ice crystals that nucleate in the ocean and either grow in the water column, or become attached to and grow at the base of the sea ice cover. Linked to the proximity of ice shelves, platelet ice is known to be associated with supercooled water. Here we re-examine hi...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: M. A. Gribble, P. E. Bond, T. G. Haskell
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Subjects:
KEY WORDS
sea ice
platelet ice
ice shelves
McMurdo Sound
Antarctica
Antarctic
Antarc*
Ice Shelves
Sea ice
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.586.2873
http://web2.clarkson.edu/projects/iahrice/IAHR 2006/contents/36_s137.pdf
Description
Summary:Platelet ice is the name given to ice crystals that nucleate in the ocean and either grow in the water column, or become attached to and grow at the base of the sea ice cover. Linked to the proximity of ice shelves, platelet ice is known to be associated with supercooled water. Here we re-examine historical surveys of platelet ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. From these data, a map of its relative abundance is constructed, resulting in a remarkably consistent pattern from year to year. On the other hand, our estimate of interannual variability in the absolute amount of platelet ice between 1980 and 2002 yields inconclusive results, requiring further work to assess and understand this variability. We estimate that 10 % of the total thickness of the landfast sea ice of McMurdo Sound is a result of heat loss to the ocean. Few growth models allow for this contribution.

Similar Items