A model for the consolidation of rafted sea ice has been developed that predicts how long it takes for the layers in a section of rafted sea ice to bond into a coherent ice sheet. The rafted ice is assumed to be composed of layers of sea ice of equal thickness, separated by thin layers of ocean water. Heat transport within the sea ice is described using the mushy layer equations and the rate of freezing is given by the Stefan condition. Concurrent laboratory experiments were conducted in the Rock and Ice Physics Laboratory at University College London (UCL). To simulate a section of rafted sea ice, blocks of laboratory-grown saline ice were stacked with 1 cm spacers between adjacent ice blocks to allow water to flood in. The consolidation process was monitored using temperature readings recorded in the ice and liquid layer, salinity measurements of the liquid layer and cores taken at specific times of interest. Results from the laboratory tests showed that the rafted ice had physically bonded in less than a day; however, it took many more days for the blocks to reach maximum strength. Comparison between numerical simulations and experiments showed that the model can predict when the ice sheets physically bond to within 10% accuracy. Further work is needed before the model can predict when the bond has reached maximum strength.
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