Modeling the salinity profile of undeformed Arctic sea ice
The salinity of sea ice affects its physical and ecological properties. Here, a multilayer one-dimensional halo-thermodynamic sea ice model is used to simulate the vertical salinity profile of undeformed Arctic sea ice. The model successfully reproduces the desalination pattern observed in first-yea...
| Published in: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Other Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Amer Geophysical Union
2006
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/38143 https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL028342 |
| Summary: | The salinity of sea ice affects its physical and ecological properties. Here, a multilayer one-dimensional halo-thermodynamic sea ice model is used to simulate the vertical salinity profile of undeformed Arctic sea ice. The model successfully reproduces the desalination pattern observed in first-year (FY) and multi-year (MY) ice. The model can also be integrated with a prescribed, time-independent salinity profile. Substantial differences in the simulated mass balance and ice-ocean salt flux arise depending on the salinity. After 10 years into the simulation, the annual mean ice thickness is 2.85 m with the interactive halodynamic component, compared to 2.53 m (2.29 m) with a prescribed, time-independent, vertically varying (constant) salinity profile. Modelling sea ice salinity is especially important when sea ice is transitioning from a MY to FY ice regime. Thus including a halodynamic component in sea ice models would significantly improve simulations of future climate. |
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