TY  - JOUR
AU  - Domine, F.
AU  - Taillandier, A. S.
AU  - Simpson, W. R.
AU  - Severin, K.
PY  - 2005//
TI  - Specific surface area, density and microstructure of frost flowers
JO  - Geophysical research letters
VL  - 32
PB  - American Geophysical Union
KW  - 0736 Cryosphere: Snow
KW  - 0750 Cryosphere: Sea ice
KW  - 0754 Cryosphere: Leads
N2  - Frost flowers often grow on new sea ice. They are thought to have a high specific surface area (SSA) that provides sites for heterogeneous reactions. We have measured the SSA of frost flowers using CH4 adsorption at 77 K and obtained a value of 185 (+80 ?50) cm2/g, much lower than inferred by others. Their density is 0.02 g/cm3. We calculate that the total surface area of frost flowers is 1.4 m2 per m2 of ice surface, so that they do not increase the ice surface area significantly. Their role as sites for enhanced heterogeneous reactions should be reconsidered. Frost flowers also commonly grow on fresh water and the saline brine seen on young sea ice is not necessary for their growth. Photo- and electro-micrographs reveal hollow and concave structures, typical of very fast growing crystals. The brine that wicks up frost flowers considerably perturbs their growth.
SN  - 0094-8276
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2005GL023245
N1  - exported from refbase (http://publi.ipev.fr/polar_references/show.php?record=5633), last updated on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:49:26 +0200
ID  - Domine_etal2005
ER  -