Abstract
The brine pore space in sea ice can form complex connected
structures whose geometry is critical in the governance of important physical
transport processes between the ocean, sea ice, and surface. Recent advances
in three-dimensional imaging using X-ray micro-computed tomography have enabled the visualization and quantification of the brine network morphology and
variability. Using imaging of first-year sea ice samples at in situ
temperatures, we create a new mathematical network model to characterize the
topology and connectivity of the brine channels. This model provides a
statistical framework where we can characterize the pore networks via two
parameters, depth and temperature, for use in dynamical sea ice models. Our
approach advances the quantification of brine connectivity in sea ice, which
can help investigations of bulk physical properties, such as fluid
permeability, that are key in both global and regional sea ice models.
Citation
ID:
150346
Ref Key:
lieblappen2018thea