The Percolation Phase Transition in Sea Ice
K. M. Golden,
*
S. F. Ackley,
V. I. Lytle
Sea ice exhibits a marked transition in its fluid transport
properties at a critical brine volume fraction
pc of about 5 percent, or temperature
Tc of about -5°C for salinity of 5 parts per
thousand. For temperatures warmer than Tc, brine
carrying heat and nutrients can move through the ice, whereas for
colder temperatures the ice is impermeable. This transition plays a key
role in the geophysics, biology, and remote sensing of sea ice.
Percolation theory can be used to understand this critical behavior of
transport in sea ice. The similarity of sea ice microstructure to
compressed powders is used to theoretically predict
pc of about 5 percent.
K. M. Golden, Department of Mathematics, University of
Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. S. F. Ackley, U.S. Army Cold
Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
V. I. Lytle, Antarctic Cooperative Research Centre and Australian
Antarctic Division, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
golden{at}math.utah.edu
