A one-dimensional enthalpy model of sea ice

Abstract

We present a 1-D enthalpy-based model of sea ice that allows for quantitative studies of sea ice and its interaction with radiative processes, melt ponds, oceanic heat and salt fluxes, internal density changes and surface heat fluxes on a single computational domain. The model provides new insight into the interior structure and the salinity evolution of sea ice. We compare our model results with measurements from laboratory experiments and show for example that no salt is lost from sea ice by brine expulsion.