Author(s): Knut V. Hoyland; Sebastien Barrault; Sebastian Gerland; Harvey Goodwin; Marcel Nicolaus; Ole Morten Olsen; Eero Rinne
Linked Author(s): Knut Hoyland
Keywords: No keywords
Abstract: Second-year sea ice in the Fram Strait has been investigated in September 2006 and 2007 with respect to consolidation. This is the first time measurements on these early winter second-year ridges are presented. Their geometry and macro-porosity were examined by drilling 2" holes and showed almost zero macro-porosity (i. e. almost completely consolidated). The ice keels were less than 7.1 m. Ice cores were sampled for the determination of temperature, salinity and density and further for calculation of air and brine porosity. The mean salinity of the keels was about 1.8 ppt, similar to what has been found in old ridges in April in the Beaufort Sea (1.4 and 1.6 ppt), but clearly lower than in blocks from keels of first-year ridges (about 4-6 ppt). The relative air volume was 4.9 (2006) and 2.1 (2007), and no obvious difference from neither first-year ridges nor old is apparent. We suggest that the most important processes that transform first-year to multi-year ridges occur in the summer.
Year: 2008