Triad Interactions among Surface Waves Propagating through an Ice Sheet

We study nonlinear resonant wave-wave interactions which occur when ocean waves propagate into a thin floating ice sheet. Using multiple-scale perturbation analysis verified against regular perturbation for short distances past the ice edge, we obtain theoretical predictions of the wave amplitude evolution as a function of distance travelled past the ice edge for a semi-infinite ice sheet. We relate the amplitude evolution to ice bending strain, related to ice breakup. We show that, due to sum-frequency interactions, the maximum strain in the ice sheet can be more than twice that predicted by linearized theory. We further demonstrate that difference-frequency interactions also can result in a moderate strain increase compared to the linear result despite transferring energy to longer wave components. This work has implications to understanding the occurrence of ice breakup and the resulting ice floe size distribution.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Pierce, Max W.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Yue, Dick K.P.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
• Copyright retained by author(s)

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/152697

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/152697