A thermo-hydrodynamic modelling study of an idealized low-elevation blue-ice area in Antarctica.

The article presents a thermo-hydrodynamic modelling study of the low-elevation blue-ice areas in Antarctica where significant amounts of subsurface liquid water during summer can be contained and absorption of shortwave radiation can be experienced. The study of the phenomenon is using the existing 2-D (x-z) model and is improved by changing the optical and thermal boundary conditions together with the optical attenuation coefficient. Significant effect of spatial variability of snow on subsurface melting has been found out.