An Arctic Ice/Ocean Coupled Model with Wave Interactions

– further our understanding of the hydrodynamical interactions between polar oceans and sea ice; – develop new theoretical models and numerical methods with applications to other areas of science; – model attenuation and directional wave propagation within and in the waters adjoining the marginal ice zone (MIZ), using the conservative multiple wave scattering approach in a medium with random geometrical properties that is specified using remote sensing data products and other data sets; – test the conjecture that ocean waves are governed by an isotropic directional spectrum in the MIZ, as observed by Wadhams et al. (1986) during field experiments; – develop novel numerical techniques to limit the computational effort for large scale models; – advance new parametrizations for dissipative mechanical processes within the MIZ, to account for additional energy loss not captured by conservative wave scattering theory; – validate the ice/ocean model using experimental data from past and upcoming field and laboratory work, as available; and – if possible, use the wave scattering model to calibrate viscoelastic-type models that render the MIZ as a continuum.