Author(s): J. Smith; Anthony J. Gow; Pat J. Langhorne
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Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: Platelet ice crystals are dendritic in appearance and up to 200 mm in diameter. They are observed beneath sea ice in areas of Antarctica. Similar crystals have previously been reported in laboratory experiments using frozen salt solutions. This paper presents the results of laboratory experiments carried out at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) and the University of Otago. Factors identified as influencing the presence and abundance of platelet-like crystals in tanks were the insulation of the tanks, initial presence of frazil, and temperature cycling. These experiments may be applicable to Antarctic platelet ice in the consideration of the ice shelf area as a heat sink in the formation process. The two phenomena may be due to different sources of supercooling, with thermal supercooling in the tank experiments giving crystals of similar appearance to those observed in the field caused by supercooling due to pressure differences.
Year: 2002