An experimental model of wave-induced motions of an ice floe

Approximately ten per cent of the ocean surface is frozen into a layer of sea ice. Ocean surface waves penetrate deep into the ice-covered ocean. Waves breakup the ice, cause ice floes to raft and contribute to formation of new ice. They hence play a key role in extent and strength of the ice cover....

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Meylan, M. H., Troffoli, A., Bennetts, L. G., Cavaliere, C., Alberello, A., Babanin, A. V.
Other Authors: The University of Newcastle. Faculty of Science & Information Technology, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Format: Conference Object
Language:English
Published: Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society (AFMS) 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1293545
Description
Summary:Approximately ten per cent of the ocean surface is frozen into a layer of sea ice. Ocean surface waves penetrate deep into the ice-covered ocean. Waves breakup the ice, cause ice floes to raft and contribute to formation of new ice. They hence play a key role in extent and strength of the ice cover. An experimental model of wave-ice interactions was implemented using the wave basin facility at Plymouth University. A single floe was subjected to monochromatic waves, using different amplitudes and frequencies. Two different synthetic materials were used to model the ice. Only a loose mooring restricted the floe. The elastic plate motion was measured using a non-intrusive motion tracking system and the depth of fluid on the plate surface was measured simultaneously. Preliminary results in which the experimental measurements are compared to a two dimensional thin elastic plate model are presented.