On the calculation of an attenuation coefficient for transects of ice-covered ocean

Abstract

Exponential attenuation of ocean surface waves in ice-covered regions of the polar seas is modelled in a two-dimensional, linear setting, assuming that the sea ice behaves as a thin-elastic plate. Attenuation is produced by natural features in the ice cover, with three types considered: floes, cracks and pressure ridges. An inelastic damping parameterization is also incorporated. Efficient methods for obtaining an attenuation coefficient for each class of feature, involving an investigation of wave interaction theory and averaging methods, are sought. It is found that (i) the attenuation produced by long floes can be obtained from the scattering properties of a single ice edge; and (ii) wave interaction theory in ice-covered regions requires evanescent and damped-propagating motions to be included when scattering sources are relatively nearby. Implications for the integration of this model into an oceanic general circulation model are also discussed.