Electrical Properties of Ice.

• Main Author: Gross,Gerardo Wolfgang
• Other Authors: NEW MEXICO INST OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY SOCORRO
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1970
• Subjects: Atmospheric Physics; Snow; Ice and Permafrost; (*ICE; ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES); (*CLOUDS; ICE); FREEZING; IMPURITIES; HALIDES; ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS; ELECTROLYTES; AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS; FLUORIDES; PH FACTOR; CARBON DIOXIDE; ALKALI HALIDES; Workman; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0718359; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0718359

An experimental and phenomenological study was made of the charge separation at the advancing surface of growing ice (Workman-Reynolds effect). The charge separation is fundamentally ascribed to anions and cations of an electrolyte solute crossing the phase boundary at different rates. The sign of the charge on the ice is determined by the preferentially incorporated ion constituent. The magnitude is determined by solute species, solute concentrations, and freezing rate. The process is very sensitive to hydrogen-ion concentration. Solutes widely present in meteoric waters, ammonium, bicarbonate, sodium, and chloride, give rise to large charge separations. Although the present results suggest that water free of impurities will not show appreciable charge separation upon freezing, this question, of paramount importance for an understanding of cloud processes, requires further investigation. (Author)