Basal melt heat flux (${\overline{F}}_{\mathrm{melt}}={\rho }_i{L}_f\Delta h/\Delta t$)

Melting a basal ice thickness $\Delta h$ consumes energy ${\rho }_i{L}_f\Delta h$ per unit area, ignoring sensible warming and salinity corrections. The corresponding time-averaged heat flux is this energy divided by $\Delta t$. The actual ocean heat flux also includes heat conducted into the ice.

// Target: geophysics.bigb