Publication Abstracts

Cooper et al. 2022

Cooper, V., L. Roach, J. Thomson, S. Brenner, M. Smith, M. Meylan, and C. Bitz, 2022: Wind waves in sea ice of the western Arctic and a global coupled wave-ice model. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. A, 380, no. 2235, 20210258, doi:10.1098/rsta.2021.0258.

The retreat of Arctic sea ice is enabling increased ocean wave activity at the sea ice edge, yet the interactions between surface waves and ice are not fully understood. Here, we examine in situ observations of wave spectra spanning 2012-2021 in the western Arctic marginal ice zone (MIZ). Swells exceeding 30 cm are rarely observed beyond 100 km inside the MIZ. However, local wind waves are observed in patches of open water amid partial ice cover during the summer. These local waves remain fetch-limited between ice floes with heights less than 1 meter. To investigate these waves at climate scales, we conduct experiments varying wave attenuation and generation in ice in a global model with coupled interactions between waves and sea ice. A weak high-frequency attenuation rate is required to simulate the wind waves in observations. The choice of attenuation scheme and wind input in ice have a remarkable impact on the extent of wave activity across ice- covered oceans, particularly in the Antarctic. As well as demonstrating the need for stronger constraints on wave attenuation, our results suggest further attention should be directed towards locally generated wind waves and their role in sea ice evolution.

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BibTeX Citation

@article{co07210x,
  author={Cooper, V. and Roach, L. and Thomson, J. and Brenner, S. and Smith, M. and Meylan, M. and Bitz, C.},
  title={Wind waves in sea ice of the western Arctic and a global coupled wave-ice model},
  year={2022},
  journal={Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A},
  volume={380},
  number={2235},
  pages={20210258},
  doi={10.1098/rsta.2021.0258},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - co07210x
AU  - Cooper, V.
AU  - Roach, L.
AU  - Thomson, J.
AU  - Brenner, S.
AU  - Smith, M.
AU  - Meylan, M.
AU  - Bitz, C.
PY  - 2022
TI  - Wind waves in sea ice of the western Arctic and a global coupled wave-ice model
JA  - Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. A
JO  - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A
VL  - 380
IS  - 2235
SP  - 20210258
DO  - 10.1098/rsta.2021.0258
ER  -

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