Ising model for melt ponds on Arctic sea ice
Abstract
Perhaps the most iconic feature of melting Arctic sea ice is the distinctive ponds that form on its surface. The geometrical patterns describing how melt water is distributed over the surface largely determine the solar reflectance and transmittance of the sea ice cover, which are key parameters in climate modeling and upper ocean ecology. In order to help develop a predictive theoretical approach to studying melting sea ice, and the resulting patterns of light and dark regions on its surface in particular, we look to the statistical mechanics of phase transitions and introduce a two-dimensional random field Ising model which accounts for only the most basic physics in the system.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 21, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1105779
Entities
People
- Courtenay Strong
- Ivan Sudakov
- Kenneth M. Golden
- Yi-ping Ma
Organizations
- University of Utah