Abstract
A linear theory of quasi-geostrophic water motion near fast-ice edges is presented. Fast-ice (i.e. ice fixed to a land mass) overlies the ocean in the form of shelf-ice or sea-ice. Shelf-ice is generally thicker than the depth over which Ekman transport occurs, while sea-ice is usually much thinner. This difference is reflected in the dynamics of the current and upwelling fluctuations near the ice-edge. In the shelf-ice case, the quasi-geostrophic motions can be described by long wind-forced trapped waves, the ocean response at a given shelf-ice position depending not only on the local offshore Ekman transport, but also on the offshore Ekman transport the wave ‘sees’ on its way along the shelf-ice to the given shelf-ice position. On the other hand, the quasi-geostrophic motion near a sea-ice edge depends only on the local offshore Ekman transport, as it is generated by an infinite stress curl at the ice edge. For the same windstress, the magnitude of the sea-ice, shelf-ice and coastal currents and upwelling are of the same order. There is some discussion of the effects of small ice-edge curvature as well as a comparison of theory with observation.
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