A numerical study of a mesoscale eddy interaction with an ocean front in the marginal ice zone

Abstract

The East Greenland Current and its associated Marginal Ice Zone is a region of intense dynamical activity. A two layer, primitive equation, numerical model is used to simulate an eddy-jet interaction in the East Greenland marginal ice zone region. The effects of wind direction, topography, and sense of eddy rotation on the eddy-jet interaction are examined to determine the seaward ice transport, icebanding, and dipole formation. It is determined that an anticyclone (15 cm/s) interacting with a jet (30 cm/s) will develop a dipole that advects ice away from the ice edge. The dipole formation and ice advection away from the ice edge is not seen for a cyclone-jet interaction. It is also seen that a jet with no winds flowing parallel to the ice edge will create an iceband due to the cross ice edge Ekman transport. The interaction of both the cyclone and anticyclone with the jet creates downstream perturbations in the jet leading to a sinuous ice edge. Winds greater than 10 m/s dominate the ice dynamics over that induced by the ocean flow fields .