The Effects of Time-Dependent Winds and Ocean Eddies on Ice Motion in a Marginal Ice Zone.

Abstract

Observations made during the MIZEX program indicate the presence of mesoscale eddies in the ocean front at the marginal ice edge in the East Greenland Current. The eddies ranged in scale from 5 to 80 km. Barotropic and baroclinic instability may be the physical mechanisms responsible for the existance of such eddies. The observations also indicate transient wind reversals (3-10 m/s) with a frequency of several days. Here the effect of time-dependent winds and ocean eddies on ice motion in a marginal ice zone is studied. Results are obtained with a two-layer, nonlinear, primitive equation ocean model and a coupled free-drift ice model. THe results indicate that ocean eddy signature in the ice edge is sensitive to cross-ice-edge motion induced by the winds and is shown to be dependent on magnitude, direction, and duration of the wind.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1987
Accession Number
ADA190105

Entities

People

  • Jeffrey L. Barker

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anticyclones
  • Equations
  • Frequency
  • Grids
  • Ice Formation
  • Instability
  • Marginal Ice Zones
  • Observation
  • Oceanography
  • Oceans
  • Regions
  • Simulations
  • Thickness
  • Topography
  • United States
  • Upwelling
  • Wind Direction

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Coastal Oceanography
  • Polar and Arctic Studies