The role of condensation from humid air on melting of ice

Onset of glacier tables

“…Therefore the liquid film is not expected to play any role in the energy balance (thermal conduction through the thin film of liquid water is quick) and the incoming heat flux at the ice surface is equal to the local heat flux at the top of the liquid layer (from the ambient air), consistently with previous analysis [21]. Note that the heat flux is two orders of magnitude higher than numerical predictions assuming a leading effect of condensation for a vertical ice plate [23], thus ruling out condensation as the main mechanism governing the melting.…”

“…The absence of a shielding effect from the water film covering an ice block was shown theoretically in the range of incident heat flux accessible experimentally [21]. The effect of the penetration of shortwave radiation on the melting of ice was investigated experimentaly [22], and, more recently, the effect of the heat flux from condensation of humid air was investigated [23]. On the other hand, the energy balance responsible for the ice melting on a glacier is influenced by various physical processes such as wind, rain, shortwave and longwave radiation [24] with an important time variability which gives rise to complex phenomena.…”