Distribution of oil in sea ice:Laboratory Experiments for 3-dimensional microCT investigations

With increasing exploration and operations in the Arctic, resulting in a growing risk for oil spills, a sound understanding of fate, detection and impact of hydrocarbons in sea ice is vital for planning and spill response. Sea ice contains pores and channels forming a network of effective porosity. During the growth season (October- March) oil becomes entrained and encapsulated in the ice quickly and remains trapped in the ice as a relatively static and discrete layer. With increasing ice temperature in spring, the interconnectivity of the pores increases and gives rise to movement of oil to the surface. To enhance understanding of oil distribution in sea ice, laboratory experiments of oil in ice were conducted. The ice was imaged with 3-D synchrotron X-ray micro-tomography (SRμCT), a non-destructive method ideally to obtain accurate measurements. An understanding of these processes is a prerequisite for optimal timing of oil spill clean-up as well as the interpretation of remote sensing data. This paper describes the measurement process and preliminary results in the context of future research opportunities to explore these applications, ranging from small in- situ experiments (5-10 cm)-, to ship tank experiments and field experiments