Surge motion of an ice floe in waves: comparison of a theoretical and an experimental model

• Published in: Annals of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Meylan, MH, Yiew, LJ, Bennetts, LG, French, B, Thomas, GA
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press 2015
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience; Glaciology; Annals of Glaciology
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3189/2015AoG69A646; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/119192

A theoretical model and an experimental model of surge motions of an ice floe due to regular waves are presented. The theoretical model is a modified version of Morrison's equation, valid for small floating bodies. The experimental model is implemented in a wave basin at a scale 1:100, using a thin plastic disc to model the floe. The processed experimental data display a regime change in surge amplitude when the incident wavelength is approximately twice the floe diameter. It is shown that the theoretical model is accurate in the high-wavelength regime, but highly inaccurate in the lowwavelength regime.