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 existence 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 ocean 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.