A linear Boltzmann equation to model wave scattering in the marginal ice zone

Abstract

We present a linear Boltzmann equation to model wave scattering in the Marginal Ice Zone (the region of ocean which consists of broken ice floes). The equation is derived by two methods, the first based on Meylan et al. [Meylan, M.H., Squire, V.A., Fox, C., 1997. Towards realism in modeling ocean wave behavior in marginal ice zones. J. Geophys. Res. 102 (C10), 22981–22991] and second based on Masson and LeBlond [Masson, D., LeBlond, P., 1989. Spectral evolution of wind-generated surface gravity waves in a dispersed ice field. J. Fluid Mech. 202, 111–136]. This linear Boltzmann equation, we believe, is more suitable than the equation presented in Masson and LeBlond [Masson, D., LeBlond, P., 1989. Spectral evolution of wind-generated surface gravity waves in a dispersed ice field. J. Fluid Mech. 202, 111–136] because of its simpler form, because it is a differential rather than difference equation and because it does not depend on any assumptions about the ice floe geometry. However, the linear Boltzmann equation presented here is equivalent to the equation in Masson and LeBlond [Masson, D., LeBlond, P., 1989. Spectral evolution of wind-generated surface gravity waves in a dispersed ice field. J. Fluid Mech. 202, 111–136] since it is derived from their equation. Furthermore, the linear Boltzmann equation is also derived independently using the argument in Meylan et al. [Meylan, M.H., Squire, V.A., Fox, C., 1997. Towards realism in modeling ocean wave behavior in marginal ice zones. J. Geophys. Res. 102 (C10), 22981–22991]. We also present details of how the scattering kernel in the linear Boltzmann equation is found from the scattering by an individual ice floe and show how the linear Boltzmann equation can be solved straightforwardly in certain cases.