Laboratory wave basin measurements of the surge, heave and pitch of a floating plastic disk caused by regular incident waves are presented. The measurements are used to validate two theoretical models: one based on slope-sliding theory and the other on combined potential-flow and thin-plate theories.Comment: 20 pages, 16 figures, 1 tabl

A theoretical model and an experimental model of surge motions of an ice floe due to regular waves are presented. The theoretical model is a modified version of Morrison's equation, valid for small floating bodies. The experimental model is implemented in a wave basin at scale 1:100, using a thin plastic disk to model the floe. The processed experimental data displays a regime change in surge amplitude when the incident wavelength is approximately twice the floe diameter. It is shown that the theoretical model is accurate in the large wavelength regime, but highly inaccurate for the small wavelength regime.

Collisions between two thin floating disks forced by regular water waves are studied for a range of wave amplitudes and lengths, using laboratory wave basin experiments and a mathematical model. Three collision regimes are identified from the experiments in terms of collision frequency and strength, and the collisions are shown to be caused by drift for short incident wavelengths and relative surge motion between the disks for longer incident waves. The model is based on slope-sliding theory for the wave-induced disk motions and rigid-body collisions. It is shown to predict collision frequencies and velocities accurately for intermediate-long incident wavelengths. Incorporating drift and wave scattering forces into the model is shown to capture the collision behaviours for short incident wavelengths.

Experiments investigating the attenuation and dispersion of surface waves in a variety of ice covers are performed using a refrigerated wave flume. The ice conditions tested in the experiments cover naturally occurring combinations of continuous, fragmented, pancake and grease ice. Attenuation rates are shown to be a function of ice thickness, wave frequency, and the general rigidity of the ice cover. Dispersion changes were minor except for large wavelength increases when continuous covers were tested. Results are verified and compared with existing literature to show the extended range of investigation in terms of incident wave frequency and ice conditions. * Corresponding author's email: lucas yiew@tcoms.sg. Current address: Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine, Singapore (TCOMS), Singapore.

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