Evaluation of Ice Models in Large and Small Lakes Using Three Dimensional Coupled Hydrodynamic-Ice Models

The primary goal of this project will be to compare and validate the capabilities of two existing ice models to simulate the evolution of ice cover on large lakes at large and small scales. The understanding of physical processes in the presence of ice within the lake is important to understanding the complicated lake ecosystem, especially during the spring. The evolution of ice cover on large lakes is very different from what is understood in small lakes in that (i) large lakes are typically only partially covered; and (ii) ice in large lakes is often fragmented and drifts around the lake under the action of wind. Models for ice growth in small lakes preclude the hydrodynamics beneath the ice, but in lakes where total ice cover is unlikely, these relatively simple models can no longer paint a full and useful picture of the processes within the lake. Simulations using two coupled ice models, both of which will eventually include snow, will be carried out using the same hydrodynamic core, so that differences observed can be attributed to differences between the ice models, as opposed to the manner in which the hydrodynamics is represented. The first ice-model will be the ice-model included within the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model (MITgcm). The second model we will use is the Los Alamos Sea Ice Model (CICE). Both large scale simulations of entire lakes and small scale process studies will be undertaken so as to build a complete understanding of marginal ice zone processes. The small scale process studies will focus on lake ice dynamics and convection near the ice edge and under ice in the presence of varying topography. These processes are inherently small scale and require more computational resources in order to model them accurately. The large scale simulations will be undertaken when an understanding of the small scale processes of interest is built. Note, that this research is part of the project titled 'Evaluation of ice models in Large Lakes using Three Dimensional Coupled Hydrodynamic-Ice Models', which is a Pillar 1-2 project under the Global Water Futures (GWF) Program funded by Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF).