Determination of the thermal conductivity of sea ice from measurements of ice temperature (and temperature gradients), salinity, ice microstructure and other environmental parameters

Despite its importance, existing circulation models and large scale sea ice models include overly simplistic parameterizations of the ice thermal conductivity that are likely to contribute to significant errors in estimating ice production rates. A set of field measurements in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica and Barrow, Alaska, were conducted over 5 seasons from which the thermal conductivity of first year sea ice was derived as a function of ice microstructure, temperature (and temperature gradients), salinity and other environmental parameters.

Thermistor arrays were deployed in fast sea ice near the Erebus Glacier Tongue to allow measurements of temperature over small volumes with the sensor in direct contact with undisturbed ice grown around it. Data was recorded at 10 min intervals throughout the winter and spring. To estimate thermal conductivity from this data set, an array of dielectric probes were deployed which allow the derivation of the in situ brine volume fraction and bulk ice salinity in the respective ice horizons.