A dissipative nonlinear Schrödinger model for wave propagation in the marginal ice zone

• Published in: Physics of Fluids
• Main Authors: Alberello, Alberto, Părău, Emilian I.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Sea ice
• Online Access: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/85090/; https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/85090/1/aps_clean2.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0089866

Sea ice attenuates waves propagating from the open ocean. Here we model the evolution of energetic unidirectional random waves in the marginal ice zone with a nonlinear Schrödinger equation, with a frequency dependent dissipative term consistent with current model paradigms and recent field observations. The preferential dissipation of high fre quency components results in a concurrent downshift of the spectral peak that leads to a less than exponential energy decay, but at a lower rate compared to a corresponding linear model. Attenuation and downshift contrast nonlinearity, and nonlinear wave statistics at the edge tend to Gaussianity farther into the marginal ice zone.