Scaling in Fracture and Refreezing of Sea Ice

TL;DR

This paper investigates the scale-invariant distribution of sea ice floe sizes in the Arctic, revealing a power-law behavior influenced by fracture and refreezing processes, supported by satellite data analysis and a cellular model.

Contribution

It introduces a cellular model that explains the power-law distribution of sea ice floe sizes, linking fracture and refreezing dynamics.

Findings

Floe size distribution follows a power law with exponent ~1.6.

Satellite data confirms scale-invariant behavior for floes under 100 km^2.

The cellular model aligns with observed data, explaining the underlying processes.

Abstract

Sea ice breaks up and regenerates rapidly during winter conditions in the Arctic. Analyzing satellite data from the Kara Sea, we find that the average ice floe size depends on weather conditions. Nevertheless, the frequency of floes of size $A$ is a power law, $N\sim A^{-\tau}$, where $\tau=1.6\pm 0.2$, for $A$ less than approximately 100 $km^2$. This scale-invariant behaviour suggests a competition between fracture due to strains in the ice field and refreezing of the fractures. A cellular model for this process gives results consistent with observations.