Call number:
ZSP-201-83/6
In:
CRREL Report, 83-6
Description / Table of Contents:
During the austral summers of 1976-77 and 1978-79, several ice cores were taken from the McMurdo Ice Shelf brine zone to investigate its thermal, physical and chemical properties. This brine zone consists of a series of super-imposed brine layers (waves) that originate at the seaward edge of the ice shelf and migrate at various rates, depending upon their age and position in the ice shelf. The brine in these layers becomes increasingly concentrated as the waves migrate inland through the permeable ice shelf firn. Chemical analyses of brine samples from the youngest (uppermost) brine wave show that it contains sea salts in normal seawater proportions. Further inland, deeper and older brine layers, though highly saline (S 〉 200 ‰), are severely depleted in SO2-4 with the SO2-4/Na+ ratio being an order of magnitude less than that of normal seawater. Analyses of Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, SO2-4 and CI-, together with solubility and temperature considerations, show that the sulfate depletion is due to selective precipitation of mirabilite, Na2SO4*10H2O. The location of the inland boundary of brine penetration is closely related to the depth at which the brine en-counters the firn/ice transition. However, a small but measurable migration of brine is still occurring in otherwise impermeable ice; this is attributed to eutectic dissolution of the ice by concentrated brine as it moves into deeper and warmer parts of the McMurdo Ice Shelf.
Type of Medium:
Series available for loan
Pages:
iii, 16 Seiten
,
Illustrationen
Series Statement:
CRREL Report 83-6
URL:
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a127821.pdf
URL:
https://hdl.handle.net/11681/9312
Language:
English
Location:
AWI Archive
Branch Library:
AWI Library
