Automatic Measurements of Vertical Ocean Heat Flux and Ice Mass Balance

• Main Authors: Untersteiner, U, Thorndike, A S
• Other Authors: WASHINGTON UNIV SEATTLE APPLIED PHYSICS LAB
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1984
• Subjects: Physical and Dynamic Oceanography; Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Test Facilities; Equipment and Methods; *THERMISTORS; *HEAT FLUX; *SEA ICE; HEAT TRANSFER; POLAR REGIONS; THICKNESS; THERMODYNAMICS; MASS; BOUNDARY LAYER; PRESSURE GAGES; VERTICAL ORIENTATION; MELTING; DATA ACQUISITION; AUTOMATIC; SEA WATER; OCEAN MODELS; HEAT BALANCE; FLOATING BODIES; BUOYS; MARINE GEOPHYSICS; TEMPERATURE MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; PACK ICE; UNDERICE; Marginal ice zones; Mass balance; Floating ice; Ice; permafrost; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA172560; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA172560

The exchange of heat between ocean and floating sea ice is an unknown component of the heat balance of polar oceans. No direct measurements by either eddy flux or profile methods of useful duration have been made, and only a few sporadic estimates exist which derive ocean heat flux as a residual in heat and mass balance of the underside of the ice. This lack of data is a serious impediment to developing dynamic-thermodynamic sea ice models which would make it possible to adjust the ocean heat flux to achieve a realistic simulation of the mean annual cycle of sea ice extent. We describe a new type of data buoy capable of making automatic and unattended measurements of the vertical flux of sensible heat in the oceanic boundary layer under a slab of floating ice. The method would also yield data on snow fall, surface melting and runoff, and bottom melting or freezing, i.e., the mass balance of the floating ice. The hardware consists of well-tested and proven components: pressure sensors, thermistors, solid-state switches, and the Argos positioning and data transmission link. The new instrument should provide a cost effective way to acquire needed data. The new data buoy should be suitable for use in both polar pack ice and rapidly melting ice of the marginal ice zones, provided that the ice is not thinner than approximately 1 m.