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Evaluation of a Coupled Wave-Ice Model in the Western Arctic
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  • Vincent T. Cooper,
  • Lettie Anne Roach,
  • Jim Thomson,
  • Samuel Dale Brenner,
  • Madison Margaret Smith,
  • Cecilia Bitz
Vincent T. Cooper
University of Washington

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Lettie Anne Roach
University of Washington
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Jim Thomson
University of Washington
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Samuel Dale Brenner
Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington
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Madison Margaret Smith
University of Washington
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Cecilia Bitz
University of Washington
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Abstract

The retreat of Arctic sea ice is enabling increased ocean surface wave activity at the sea ice edge, yet the physical processes governing interactions between waves and sea ice are not fully understood. Here, we use a collection of in situ observations of waves in ice to evaluate a recent global climate model experiment that includes coupled interactions between ocean waves and the sea ice floe size distribution. Observations come from subsurface moorings and free-drifting buoys spanning 2012-2019 in the Beaufort Sea, and we group the data based on distance inside the ice edge for comparison with model results. Locally generated wind waves are relatively prevalent in observations beyond 100 km inside the ice but are absent in the model. Low-frequency swell, however, is present in the model, while subsurface moorings located more than 100 km inside the ice do not report any swell with significant wave height exceeding the instruments' detection limits. These results motivate further model development and future observing campaigns, suggesting that local wave generation inside the ice edge may play a significant role for floe fracture while demonstrating a need for more robust constraints on wave attenuation by sea ice.