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Turbulent heat exchange between water and ice at an evolving ice–water interface

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2016

Eshwan Ramudu ,
Benjamin Henry Hirsh ,
Peter Olson  and
Anand Gnanadesikan
Eshwan Ramudu*
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Benjamin Henry Hirsh
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Peter Olson
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Anand Gnanadesikan
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: eramudu@jhu.edu
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Abstract

We conduct laboratory experiments on the time evolution of an ice layer cooled from below and subjected to a turbulent shear flow of warm water from above. Our study is motivated by observations of warm water intrusion into the ocean cavity under Antarctic ice shelves, accelerating the melting of their basal surfaces. The strength of the applied turbulent shear flow in our experiments is represented in terms of its Reynolds number $Re$, which is varied over the range $2.0\times 10^{3}\leqslant Re\leqslant 1.0\times 10^{4}$. Depending on the water temperature, partial transient melting of the ice occurs at the lower end of this range of $Re$ and complete transient melting of the ice occurs at the higher end. Following these episodes of transient melting, the ice reforms at a rate that is independent of $Re$. We fit our experimental measurements of ice thickness and temperature to a one-dimensional model for the evolution of the ice thickness in which the turbulent heat transfer is parameterized in terms of the friction velocity of the shear flow. Applying our model to field measurements at a site under the Antarctic Pine Island Glacier ice shelf yields a predicted melt rate that exceeds present-day observations.

JFM classification

Geophysical and Geological Flows: Ocean processes Phase change: Solidification/melting Turbulent Flows: Turbulent boundary layers
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 798 , 10 July 2016 , pp. 572 - 597
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Copyright
© 2016 Cambridge University Press 

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