Abstract

I will present findings from a laboratory experiment in a large ice tank, involving irregular, unidirectional surface water waves incident on model ice, which were used as a physical model of ocean surface wave interactions with sea ice. A series of three tests were conducted, starting with a continuous ice cover and in which the incident wave steepness increases between tests. The incident waves ranged from causing no breakup of the ice cover to breakup of the full length of ice cover. The evolution of the ice cover was monitored by cameras and image processing was used to extract the ice edge, breaking front and floe sizes. Wave activity in the ice-covered region was measured by an array of bottom-mounted pressure sensors. Results will be given for wave propagation and ice breakup. The results motivate improved understanding of the transfer of wave energy from open water into ice-covered water, and I will present preliminary results based on a theoretical model.