Observations of Ocean Surface Wave Attenuation in Sea Ice Using Seafloor Cables

Abstract The attenuation of ocean surface waves during seasonal ice cover is an important control on the evolution of Arctic coastlines. The spatial and temporal variations in this process have been challenging to resolve with conventional sampling using sparse arrays of moorings or buoys. We demons...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical Research Letters
Main Authors: Madison M. Smith, Jim Thomson, Michael G. Baker, Robert E. Abbott, Jake Davis
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023
Subjects:
sea ice
waves
Arctic Ocean
coastal shelves
DAS
Geophysics. Cosmic physics
QC801-809
Sea ice
Alaska
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105243
https://doaj.org/article/d4aee4a3e73f4c0c9906c2a4f0e769ed
Description
Summary:Abstract The attenuation of ocean surface waves during seasonal ice cover is an important control on the evolution of Arctic coastlines. The spatial and temporal variations in this process have been challenging to resolve with conventional sampling using sparse arrays of moorings or buoys. We demonstrate a novel method for persistent observation of wave‐ice interactions using distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) along existing seafloor fiber optic telecommunications cables. DAS measurements span a 36‐km cross‐shore cable on the Beaufort Shelf from Oliktok Point, Alaska. DAS optical sensing of fiber strain‐rate provides a proxy for seafloor pressure, which we calibrate with wave buoy measurements during the ice‐free season (August 2022). We apply this calibration during the ice formation season (November 2021) to obtain unprecedented resolution of variable wave attenuation rates in new, partial ice cover. The location and strength of wave attenuation serve as proxies for ice coverage and thickness, especially during rapidly evolving events.

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