Multiscale PDE Models for Marginal Ice Zone Dynamics

Perhaps the most dynamic component of the Arctic sea ice cover is the marginal ice zone (MIZ), the transitional region between dense pack ice and open ocean. It widens severalfold and moves poleward in a dramatic annual cycle, impacting the climate system, ecological processes, and human accessibility to the Arctic. We’ll discuss multiscale partial differential equation models for MIZ dynamics and the sea ice concentration field. The MIZ is viewed as a liquid-solid phase transition region, or mushy layer, to obtain a model that captures the seasonal cycle. Parameters in the model depend on finer scale structure and are computed using rigorous homogenization methods. We also consider a related floe-scale model with advective forcing to study ice transport processes, jamming, and anomalous diffusion observed in ice floe GPS data.