Journal article

Experimental and theoretical models of wave-induced flexure of a sea ice floe

MH Meylan, LG Bennetts, C Cavaliere, A Alberello, A Toffoli

Physics of Fluids | AMER INST PHYSICS | Published : 2015

Abstract

An experimental model is used to validate a theoretical model of a sea ice floe's flexural motion, induced by ocean waves. A thin plastic plate models the ice floe in the experiments. Rigid and compliant plastics and two different thicknesses are tested. Regular incident waves are used, with wavelengths less than, equal to, and greater than the floe length, and steepnesses ranging from gently sloping to storm-like. Results show the models agree well, despite the overwash phenomenon occurring in the experiments, which the theoretical model neglects.

University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by Australian Research Council


Funding Acknowledgements

Plymouth University funded the experiments. Peter Arber provided technical support during the experiments. M.H.M. acknowledges the support of the Office of Naval Research. L.G.B. acknowledges funding support from the Australian Research Council (DE130101571) and the Australian Antarctic Science Program (Project 4123).