Seawater Icicles of the Adriatic Sea

Abstract

AbstractThe marine icicles that form on coastal constructions (e.g., piers and railings) are very common in polar and subpolar areas. The occasional formation of icicles in the coastal zones of the Mediterranean Sea occurs in relation to cold-air outbreaks from the polar region, such as the one presented in this paper in February 2018. The air temperatures over the northern Adriatic Sea, the northernmost part of the Mediterranean, dropped below –2.1°C, a necessary condition for seawater to freeze, with salinity between 38.0 and 38.5 PSU. The formation of icicles on the coastal structures was further enabled by the bora wind and related high seas along the coast. Measurements presented in this paper confirm that the icicles in the Bay of Piran in the Gulf of Trieste (45.55°N) were formed from the seawater. The measured salinity level of the melted icicles, around 9 PSU, is a typical value reported for marine icicles in polar regions.