Thermal stratification effects near a vertical ice slab in cold water

This study was an experimental determination of the effect of thermal stratification on the anomalous unsteadiness near a vertical ice slab melting in cold water. The experiments were performed in a small tank with a high gradient of stratification, and in a large tank with a low gradient of stratification. The flows in the small tank were found to be unsteady, while the flows in the large tank were steady. Results for various ambient conditions include sequential photographs of the buoyancy-driven flows as visualized by a Schlieren optical system. From the temperature measurements taken, the stratification was determined to be 1.49 °C/m to 1.71 °C/m in the smaller tank, and 0.03 °C/m to 0.6 °C/m in the large tank. When the stratification gradient was high, an anomalous unsteadiness was observed, while when the stratification was low, an anomalous unsteadiness was not observed. The results of this study suggest the degree of thermal stratification has a strong effect influencing the anomalous unsteadiness, however, thermal stratification may not necessarily be the only factor.