Brine Channel Morphology in Sea Ice
Ph.D. Dissertation, 2016, Engineering, Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth CollegeAbstract: 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 threedimensional 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.
Talks:
- The Microstructure of Sea Ice and its Influences on the Polar Transport of Salts. Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. January 8, 2016.
- From Barrow, With Ice: The Story of the ICE-MITT. Ice and Climate Seminar, Dartmouth College, NH. May 12, 2015.
- From Antarctica to the Arctic: A Story of Snow, Sea Ice, and the Frigid Cold. Center for Student Coastal Research, Cohasset, MA. April 30, 2015.
Publications:
- Lieblappen, R., Kumar, D., Pauls, S., Obbard, R. 2018. A Network Model for Characterizing Brine Channels in Sea Ice. Cryosphere. 12, 1013-1026, doi:10.5194/tc-12-1013-2018.
- Lieb-Lappen, R. M., Golden, E. J., Obbard, R. W. 2017. Metrics for Interpreting the Microstructure of Sea Ice using X-Ray Micro-Computed Tomography. Cold Reg. Sci. Technol. 138, 24-35. doi:10.1016/j.coldregions.2017.03.001.
- Ph.D. Dissertation: How Sea Ice Microstructure Influences the Polar Transport of Salts from the Ocean into the Atmosphere.
Advisor: Rachel Obbard