Investigation into the relationship between floe size distribution (FSD), differential floe motion and jostling, and ocean wave fields penetrating the Ross Sea marginal ice zones

The relationship between floe size distribution, differential floe motion and jostling and ocean wave fields penetrating the Ross Sea marginal ice zone was investigated using ship borne access to the ice during both winter and summer cruises. Floe size distribution was measured over 500m to 1km control areas around a ship, the Nathaniel B Palmer, located in the pack ice on several occasions as the ship proceeded through the marginal ice zone. All relevant aspects of the wave field in the control area was monitored and measured wave data was compared with predictions based on scattering theory. A set of 5 buoys was deployed from the ship for approximately 12 hours. They were set out in an "L" shaped array around 10km by 10km (close enough together to maintain the coherence of the wave field within the system so that the progress of individual waves could be tracked). The use of GPS for self referenced measurements of ice floe movement in the swell was tested.