Research Spotlight On Sea Ice Growth in Antarctica

Description

Prof Mark McGuinness is an Applied Mathematics professor at SMS, helping to explain global phenomena using Mathematical models. His latest work sees him investigating the formation of platelet ice, an important component of sea ice, in Antarctica.

Platelet ice is found in first year sea ice, near ice shelves. However, it is not seen at shallower depths, and scientists around the world have been scratching their heads as to why this is the case: it doesn't fit with the models we have of how water freezes.

Mark and his graduate students have been researching what is happening to the salt in the water. By looking at the way salt distributes as ice freezes, Mark and his team hope to create a more comprehensive scientific model for the freezing of ice. Their current data suggests that there may be differences between the ice freezing in the Northern and Southern poles, as the salinity in the oceans are different. This could have significant implications for predictions of how climate change will affect the polar ice caps.

Mark is also interested in recent observations of banding in young sea ice, and their possible utility as indicators of early growth rate, much like tree-rings indicate the age of a tree.

Members

Prof Mark McGuinness