On the Freezing Process of Sea Water from Data of Laboratory
Measurements Based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

N. A. Melnichenko^a and P. A. Stunzhas^b

^a Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia

e-mail: melnichenko.na@dvfu.ru, melnichenko_2014@mail.ru

^b Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

e-mail: pastunzhas@mail.ru

Received June 11, 2013

Abstract—Results of measurements of the relative brine content (Q_m) and proton magnetic relaxation time (T₁)
in the liquid phase of freezing sea water at temperatures between –2C and –43C are given for variable direc-
tions of temperature changes using different pulse and stationary methods of NMR. The results are compared
with current published evidence. The results of the temperature dependences of Q_m at adding NaCl in sea water
are shown. In all the cases, the hysteresis loops in the temperature dependencies of Q_m and T₁ in brine were
discovered. They correspond to the crystallization range of the main salt of sea water (NaCl), which partially
precipitates in the crystalline hydrate form (NaCl 2H₂O) at temperatures lower than –23C. We demonstrate
that crystalline hydrates begin to form in brine after complete salvatation of the ions of basic sea water salts at
salinity from 85 to 90‰ and temperatures from –5 to –6C. The determinations of Q_m allowed us to calculate
the salinity of brine, which agreed well with the current published estimates.

DOI: 10.1134/S0001437014060083

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