The Roland von Glasow Air-Sea-Ice Chamber (RvG-ASIC): an experimental facility for studying ocean–sea-ice–atmosphere interactions

Abstract

Abstract. Sea ice is difficult, expensive, and potentially dangerous to observe in nature. The remoteness of the Arctic Ocean and Southern Ocean complicates sampling logistics, while the heterogeneous nature of sea ice and rapidly changing environmental conditions present challenges for conducting process studies. Here, we describe the Roland von Glasow Air-Sea-Ice Chamber (RvG-ASIC), a laboratory facility designed to reproduce polar processes and overcome some of these challenges. The RvG-ASIC is an open-topped 3.5 m3 glass tank housed in a cold room (temperature range: −55 to +30 ∘C). The RvG-ASIC is equipped with a wide suite of instruments for ocean, sea ice, and atmospheric measurements, as well as visible and UV lighting. The infrastructure, available instruments, and typical experimental protocols are described. To characterise some of the technical capabilities of our facility, we have quantified the timescale over which our chamber exchanges gas with the outside, τl=(0.66±0.07) d, and the mixing rate of our experimental ocean, τm=(4.2±0.1) min. Characterising our light field, we show that the light intensity across the tank varies by less than 10 % near the centre of the tank but drops to as low as 60 % of the maximum intensity in one corner. The temperature sensitivity of our light sources over the 400 to 700 nm range (PAR) is (0.028±0.003) W m−2 ∘C−1, with a maximum irradiance of 26.4 W m−2 at 0 ∘C; over the 320 to 380 nm range, it is (0.16±0.1) W m−2 ∘C−1, with a maximum irradiance of 5.6 W m−2 at 0 ∘C. We also present results characterising our experimental sea ice. The extinction coefficient for PAR varies from 3.7 to 6.1 m−1 when calculated from irradiance measurements exterior to the sea ice and from 4.4 to 6.2 m−1 when calculated from irradiance measurements within the sea ice. The bulk salinity of our experimental sea ice is measured using three techniques, modelled using a halo-dynamic one-dimensional (1D) gravity drainage model, and calculated from a salt and mass budget. The growth rate of our sea ice is between 2 and 4 cm d−1 for air temperatures of (-9.2±0.9) ∘C and (-26.6±0.9) ∘C. The PAR extinction coefficients, vertically integrated bulk salinities, and growth rates all lie within the range of previously reported comparable values for first-year sea ice. The vertically integrated bulk salinity and growth rates can be reproduced well by a 1D model. Taken together, the similarities between our laboratory sea ice and observations in nature, as well as our ability to reproduce our results with a model, give us confidence that sea ice grown in the RvG-ASIC is a good representation of natural sea ice.

Pollution in the Arctic Ocean: An overview of multiple pressures and implications for ecosystem services

“…For emerging pollutants, this highlights the need for experimental data to back up and validate models, e.g. by using controlled laboratory experiments to determine the necessary physical–chemical property data (Garnett et al, 2019 ; Thomas et al, 2021 ), and especially specific pressure–receptor–effect relationships for Arctic ecosystems. To this end, EwE/Ecotracer could be coupled to (i) quantitative Adverse Outcome Pathway models that elucidate key toxicity mechanisms, as well as (ii) to eco-epidemiological studies based on monitoring data, using the experimental capabilities of the omics approach.…”

“…sea ice and interactions with microplastics and oil: Firoozy et al, 2018 ; Geilfus et al, 2019 ), and the Arctic Environmental Test Basin of the Hamburg Ship Model Basin (HSVA) in Hamburg, Germany ( https://www.hsva.de/our-facilities/ice-tank.html ). An example of a smaller laboratory-based facility aiming to simulate the full system of atmosphere, sea ice and sea water is the Roland von Glasow Air-Sea-Ice Chamber at the University of East Anglia, UK ( https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/school-of-environmental-sciences/research/atmosphere-ocean-and-climate-sciences/roland-von-glasow-air-sea-ice-chamber ) (Thomas et al, 2021 ), which has been used recently for studies on organic contaminant fate in sea ice. Studies include work on contaminant accumulation in ice brine by Garnett et al ( 2019 , 2021a ) and the investigation of transport mechanisms of tracers in combination with nutrient inputs by Thomas et al ( 2020 ) as part of the Effects of Ice Stressors and Pollutants on the Arctic marine Cryosphere (EISPAC project), under the UK/German “Changing Arctic Ocean” Programme ( https://www.changing-arctic-ocean.ac.uk/ NERC, 2021 ).…”

Investigating the Uptake and Fate of Poly- and Perfluoroalkylated Substances (PFAS) in Sea Ice Using an Experimental Sea Ice Chamber

“…The study was conducted in the Roland von Glasow Air-Sea-Ice Chamber (RvG-ASIC) at the University of East Anglia, U.K . The facility consists of an insulated glass-walled tank (dimensions: height: 1.2 m; width 1.2 m; length 2.5 m) located inside a refrigerated chamber (air can be chilled).…”

“…The study was conducted in the Roland von Glasow Air-Sea-Ice Chamber (RvG-ASIC) at the University of East Anglia, U.K. 18 The facility consists of an insulated glass-walled tank (dimensions: height: 1.2 m; width 1.2 m; length 2.5 m) located inside a refrigerated chamber (air can be chilled). Artificial seawater was made by dissolving NaCl in deionized water to a concentration of ≈35 g L −1 (all volume concentrations are reported for 20 °C).…”

Review of the design considerations for the laboratory growth of sea ice

“…The initial stages of this development included the creation of an appropriate laboratory set-up. Beyond the early review and directions provided by Weeks and Cox (1974) and the design considerations briefly outlined by Thomas and others (2021), no cohesive resource that covered all the factors and considerations involved in the creation of laboratory-grown sea ice was found. As a result, the initial set-up was limited by tank design and instrumentation.…”