On the ridging of a thin sheet of lead ice

Abstract

A two-dimensional particle simulation model of the sea-ice ridging process is developed. In this model, ridges are formed from an intact layer of newly frozen lead ice colliding with a thick multi-year floe. Blocks broken from the leading edge of the lead ice collect above and beneath the multi-year floe to form the characteristic ridge structure seen in the central Arctic. The total energy consumed in ridging ice, which is converted into the potential energy of the ridge structure and dissipated by the frictional and inelastic contacts between blocks of ice, is calculated explicitly. The results of preliminary numerical experiments using this model indicate that the amount of energy required to ridge ice may be much larger than previous estimates.