| Title | Attenuation of wave energy by nearshore sea ice; Prince Edward Island, Canada |
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| Author | Manson, G K; Davidson-Arnott, R G D; Ollerhead, J |
| Source | Journal of Coastal Research vol. 32, issue 2, 2016 p. 253-263, https://doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-14-00207.1 |
| Image |  |
| Year | 2016 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20130306 |
| Publisher | Coastal Education and Research Foundation |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper; on-line; digital |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | Eastern offshore region |
| NTS | 1; 2; 3; 10; 11; 12 |
| Area | Gulf of St Lawrence |
| Lat/Long WENS | -66.0000 -58.0000 50.0000 46.0000 |
| Subjects | Nature and Environment; sediment transport; coastal environment; sea ice; hydrodynamics |
| Illustrations | location maps; graphs; tables; charts |
| Program | Climate Change Geoscience |
| Released | 2015 08 25 |
| Abstract | Sea ice is widely held to be decreasing in coastal waters where it is known to be effective in attenuating wave energy. This process is critical for understanding nearshore sediment transport and
coastal change in ice-infested waters. We explore the attenuation of waves shoaling in nearshore ice using a simple attenuation model, hydrodynamic modelling, field studies, and daily charts of sea ice. The attenuation model is drawn from studies in
deep water and modified for shallow water using field measurements. In a simple but common configuration where ice lies in a band onshore and waves enter from open water, the theory that wave energy decays exponentially as waves enter ice appears to
hold true in shallow and deep water. The wave energy density in ice relates to the incoming wave energy density, attenuation distance, and an attenuation coefficient related to ice concentration and floe diameter. Much of the variability in
measurements is explained by the theory, but substantial uncertainty remains. Prediction potential might be improved with higher resolution wave measurements and modelling, consideration of the rebuilding of attenuated waves in partial ice cover, and
separate treatment of new ice. The adapted semiempirical theory is likely generally applicable to ice-infested coastal waters, but field studies in particular environments will be required to calibrate attenuation. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
Nearshore sea ice is found in zones along shorelines in Atlantic and Arctic Canada. When present, nearshore sea ice is important in controlling the
amount of wave energy that a shoreline may experience, and the amount of coastal erosion that may occur. Hydrodynamic modelling is a method to study the physics of water, sea ice and seabed characteristics that interact to control the amount of wave
energy that a shoreline may experience. We develop an approach towards understanding the influence of sea ice on waves off the north shore of Prince Edward Island. This approach can potentially be transferred to Canada's Arctic shorelines. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 293281 |
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