The permeability of sea ice to brine from fast ice at Davis Station and McMurdo Sound

The permeability of sea ice to brine under naturally occurring conditions was investigated. The data is important for determining the rate at which nutrients are supplied to sea ice algae and the rate of snow ice formation and the processes which control it. The results are to be applied to models of the Antarctic pack ice and initial data collection was concentrated on the fast ice area to refine the data collection technique and to provide a relatively homogenous ice area to understand the physical parameters controlling the permeability. Data was collected from the fast ice at Davis Station (Australian territory) during an entire winter season to measure the influence of sea ice temperature, and ice thickness on the ice permeability. Data was also collected from McMurdo Sound in October (1999) and was primarily designed to determine the effect of hole size on the calculations of ice permeability, and to test a modified version of the pressure sensor.