A prognosticative synopsis of contemporary marginal ice zone research

Abstract

Commentary narrated in this theme issue is recast to contextualize the diverse themes presented into a forward-looking conversation that synthesizes, debates opportunities for multidisciplinary advances and highlights topics that deserve enduring sharpened attention. Research oriented towards foundational elements of the marginal ice zone that relates to three unifying topic subclasses—namely (i) wave propagation through sea ice, (ii) floe size distributions and (iii) ice dynamics and break-up—and is encapsulated in mini-reviews provided by Thomson, Horvat and Dumont is revisited to distill it into a blueprint for the future guided by the cutting-edge, present-day knowledge documented herein by leading practitioners in the field. Six threads are signalled as imperative for prospective research, each with a bearing on Arctic and Antarctic sea-ice canopies in which the propensity for marginal ice zones to coexist with pack ice is greater as a result of global climate change reducing sea-ice resilience while increasing the prevalence and forcefulness of injurious storm winds and waves. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Theory, modelling and observations of marginal ice zone dynamics: multidisciplinary perspectives and outlooks’.

Marginal ice zone dynamics: future research perspectives and pathways

“…Contemporary MIZ research is a coordinated, multidisciplinary, international research effort, which builds on the foundational understanding established by pioneering research efforts in the 1970s–1980s, and is motivated by the challenges and complexities created by climate change. The progress made over the past decade puts the field of MIZ dynamics in a position to push farther down the path of demonstrating its importance in the climate system, while tackling the fundamental research questions that remain [33].…”

“…Integration of MIZ dynamics in Earth system models is the most accessible path to impact climate studies. It has been described as the holy grail for MIZ research by Squire [33], and there is considerable momentum towards the goal, as is evident from articles in the theme issue [9,11]. However, MIZ model components will potentially incur a considerable computational cost, including the need to couple wave and sea ice models.…”

Direct Observations of Wave‐Sea Ice Interactions in the Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone

“…The transition between the open ocean and pack ice is called the marginal ice zone (MIZ). Multiple definitions of the MIZ exist, depending on purpose and field of study it can be defined based on wave activity as a region where waves and sea ice co‐exist (Squire, 2022), based on sea ice concentration (Vichi, 2022) or based on other properties of the ice, such as thickness or floe size distribution. In the Antarctic the width of this zone can be hundreds of kilometers (Brouwer et al., 2022).…”

Theory, modelling and observations of marginal ice zone dynamics: multidisciplinary perspectives and outlooks

“…The guest editors and authors express their appreciation for his enthusiasm and mentorship, and are delighted to offer the theme issue to celebrate his contributions. Prof. Squire is actively involved in the theme issue as the author of a preface [ 20 ] and a synopsis of the research presented in the theme issue that includes directions for future interdisciplinary research [ 21 ].…”

“…Focus topic III is on ice dynamics and breakup: the mini-review by Dumont [ 31 ] gives an overview of the current state of the art in the area; Herman [ 32 ] uses discrete-element simulations to conduct a theoretical analysis of the MIZ rheology; Boutin et al [ 33 ] compare MIZ extents from a coupled wave–ice numerical model involving a rheology sub-model to satellite observations; and Auclair et al [ 34 ] use a numerical model to investigate the effects of wind and wave radiative stresses on ice dynamics. The theme issue closes with two future-facing articles: the first is the above-mentioned synopsis by Squire [ 21 ]; and the second article is by the guest editors [ 35 ] and generates visions for the future of the field and pathways to create impact in the broader science community, e.g. impacts on climate science.…”