An Ice Breeze Mechanism for an Ice Divergence-Convergence Criterion in the Marginal Ice Zone

• Main Author: Chu, P. C.
• Other Authors: NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1987
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; *MARGINAL ICE ZONES; *ICE OPENINGS; BANDS(STRIPS); MAINTENANCE; EDGES; WIND; ICE; COMPACTING; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA480214; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA480214

A coupled air-ice-ocean theoretical model for the marginal ice zone (MIZ) is developed and used to show that an off-ice and divergent wind field not only produces a dilation of the MIZ (as is generally thought), but also generates a compaction of MIZ for some circumstances. An ice divergence-convergence criterion in the MIZ is found and used to help explain some features, such as ice edge bands, and the formation and maintenance of polynyas and leads.