Evaluation of the numerical wave model (WaveWatch III) for wave simulation in the Antarctic marginal ice zone

Abstract

<p>The Southern Ocean is the birthplace of the fiercest waves on the Earth, which play a fundamental role in global climate by regulating momentum, heat and gas exchanges between the atmosphere and ocean. At high latitudes, waves interact with Antarctic sea ice, another crucial player of the Earth's climate system, modulating its expansion in the winter and its retreat in summer and hence affecting the global albedo. Despite the impact of waves on climate, global wave models are considerably biased in the Southern Hemisphere, due to the scarcity of observations in these remote waters. This is exacerbated in the marginal ice zone, the region of ice-covered water between the compact ice ..