Simulation of a sea ice ecosystem using a hybrid model for slush layer desalination

Porous, slushy layers are a common feature of Antarctic sea ice and are often colonized by high concentrations of algae. Despite its potential importance to the physics and biogeochemistry of the sea ice ecosystem, current knowledge of the evolution of sea ice slush layers is limited. Here we present a model of sea ice that is capable of reproducing the vertical biophysical evolution of sea ice that contains slush layers. The model uses a novel hybrid desalination scheme to calculate salt fluxes and brine motion during freezing using one of two different methods depending on the brine fraction of the ice. Model runs using atmospheric and snow depth forcing from the Ice Station Weddell experiment show that model is able to simulate the magnitude and timing of sea ice temperature, salinity, and associated algal growth of observed slush layers, as well as the surrounding sea ice. The model was designed with regional-scale simulations in mind and we show that the model performs well at lower vertical resolutions, as long as the slush layer is resolved. Incorporation of our model of slush ice desalination into regional and global simulations has potential to improve model estimates of salt, heat, and biochemical fluxes in polar marine environments.