Wave Attenuation in Drifting Sea Ice: A Mechanistic Model for Observed Decay Profiles

TL;DR

This paper develops a mechanistic model for wave energy attenuation in drifting sea ice, explaining observed non-exponential decay profiles and improving understanding of wave-ice interactions in polar regions.

Contribution

It introduces an enhanced model incorporating drifting ice effects, capturing non-exponential wave decay observed in Antarctic sea ice.

Findings

Analytical solutions match observed wave decay profiles.

The model explains spatial variations in attenuation rates.

Improves predictions of wave behavior in sea ice zones.

Abstract

Wave-sea ice interactions shape the transition zone between open ocean and pack ice in the polar regions. Most theoretical paradigms, implemented in coupled wave-sea ice models, predict exponential decay of the wave energy but some recent observations deviate from this behaviour. Expanding on a framework based on wave energy dissipation due to ice-water drag, we account for drifting sea ice to derive an improved model for wave energy attenuation. Analytical solutions replicate the observed non-exponential wave energy decay and the spatial evolution of the effective attenuation rate in Antarctic sea ice.