Wave Attenuation in Drifting Sea Ice: A Mechanistic Model for Observed Decay Profiles

Ransome, Rhys, Proment, Davide, Renfrew, Ian A. and Alberello, Alberto (2025) Wave Attenuation in Drifting Sea Ice: A Mechanistic Model for Observed Decay Profiles.

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Abstract

Wave-sea ice interactions shape the transition zone between open ocean and pack ice in the polar regions. Most theoretical paradigms, implemented in coupled wave-sea ice models, predict exponential decay of the wave energy but recent observations deviate from this behaviour. Expanding on a framework based on wave energy dissipation due to ice-water drag, we account for drifting sea ice to derive an improved model for wave energy attenuation. Analytical solutions replicate the observed non-exponential wave energy decay and the spatial evolution of the effective attenuation rate in Antarctic sea ice.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	10 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to Journal of Fluid Mechanics - Rapids. Author contributions: Rhys Ransome - conceptualisation, theoretical derivation, validation, writing (original draft and editing); Davide Proment - theoretical derivation, editing; Ian A. Renfrew - editing; Alberto Alberello - theoretical derivation, writing, editing
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sea ice,surface gravity waves,wave-structure interactions
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Fluids & Structures Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Quantum Matter Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Centre for Photonics and Quantum Science (former - to 2025)
Related URLs:	https://arxiv.org/pdf/2511.01528v1
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	24 Feb 2026 12:30
Last Modified:	24 Feb 2026 12:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/102040
DOI:

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