Sea ice is both an indicator and agent of climate
change. It also serves as a primary habitat for
microbial communities which sustain the rich food
webs of the polar oceans. Fluid flow through porous
sea ice constrains a broad range of processes, such
as the growth and decay of seasonal ice, the
evolution of summer ice albedo, and biomass build-up.
A new understanding of the fluid permeability of sea
ice promises to improve forecasts of how global
warming will affect earth's icepacks, and how polar
ecosystems may respond. Related work on electrical
properties will help in monitoring ice thickness.
Video from a 2007 Antarctic expedition where we
measured fluid and electrical transport in sea ice
will be shown.
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