The influence of ice structure on thermo-elastic waves in saline ice

We formulate a structural model of saline ice and describe a model solution describing the propagation of thermo-elastic waves. Thermo-elastic waves are excited by periodical oscillations of the ice surface temperature. The properties of these thermo-elastic waves are determined by the mean ice temperature (background temperature), the ice salinity and the amount of liquid brine trapped in closed brine pockets. Results from an experiment, measuring thermo-elastic waves in ice, performed in the UNIS cold laboratory, are described. The characteristics of these thermo-elastic waves are compared with the theory. It is shown that amount of liquid brine trapped in closed brine pockets is an important variable in describing how the ice deforms under oscillating background temperature