Climate Change and the Thermal Evolution of Fluid Transport in Sea Ice
January 28, 2009 3pm, 104 SEC
Abstract
Sea ice is both an indicator and agent of climate change. It also serves
as a primary habitat for algal and bacterial communities sustaining life
in the polar oceans. Fluid flow through porous sea ice mediates a broad
range of processes, such as the growth and decay of seasonal ice, the
evolution of ice pack reflectance, and biomass build-up. A new, mathematical
understanding of the fluid permeability of sea ice, and the thermal
evolution of its microstructure, promises to improve forecasts of how
global warming will affect earth's icepacks, and how polar ecosystems may
respond. Related work on electrical properties will help in monitoring
ice thickness. Video from a 2007 Antarctic expedition where we measured
fluid and electrical transport in sea ice will be shown.
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