Wave-Ice Interactions in Barents Sea Marginal Ice Zone

Abstract

The motion of two ice floes in a wave field were simultaneously measured with two six degree of freedom instruments in the Barents Sea Marginal Ice Zone. The heave motion amplitude was used to interpret the wave amplitude. The response of the floes in a wave field relative to the wave amplitude at several different frequencies was investigated through spectral analysis. Comparison of the calculated wave amplitude at these two locations gave the wave attenuation coefficient, which was somewhat larger than those reported from previous field experiments; this is perhaps due to both the relatively higher concentration and the types of ice found during the investigation. The heave, sway, surge, pitch, roll, and yaw amplitudes were compared with the wave amplitude. The nondimensional response amplitude operators have similar values in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the wave direction; the response amplitude operators in pitch, heave, and surge agree with the predictions from previous theoretical studies. Similar responses in the sway, roll, and yaw directions indicate significant floe-floe interactions. These floe interactions may also contribute to the observed wave attenuation. Finally, there was essentially no difference between the floe energy attenuation and the wave attenuation.