Development of a numerical model of sea ice for biogeochemical studies. Part 1: Sea-ice thermodynamics

Abstract

A fully prognostic 1-D thermodynamic model, functional for studies of sea-ice biogeochemistry is developed to better understand the physical processes and the interactions between the environment and the sea-ice ecosystem. The physical model is capable of simulating seasonal changes of snow and ice thickness. Particular attention is paid to reproduce the snow-ice and the superimposed ice formation which play important roles in the dynamics of sea ice algae. The assessment of the model capabilities is done in 1979--1993 at four different stations in the Baltic Sea. A sensitivity analysis stresses the importance of adequate surface forcing functions to properly simulate the onset of sea ice. Our results show that thickness of the ice layers and timing of the melting are in good agreement with the observed data and confirm that one of the key variables in modelling sea-ice thermodynamics is the snow layer and its metamorphism.