Manson, G.K.; Davidson-Arnott, R.G.D., and Ollerhead, J., 2016. Attenuation of wave energy by nearshore sea ice: Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Sea ice is widely held to be decreasing in coastal waters where it is known to be effective in attenuating wave energy. This process is critical for understanding nearshore sediment transport and coastal change in ice-infested waters. We explore the attenuation of waves shoaling in nearshore ice using a simple attenuation model, hydrodynamic modelling, field studies, and daily charts of sea ice. The attenuation model is drawn from studies in deep water and modified for shallow water using field measurements. In a simple but common configuration where ice lies in a band onshore and waves enter from open water, the theory that wave energy decays exponentially as waves enter ice appears to hold true in shallow and deep water. The wave energy density in ice relates to the incoming wave energy density, attenuation distance, and an attenuation coefficient related to ice concentration and floe diameter. Much of the variability in measurements is explained by the theory, but substantial uncertainty remains. Prediction potential might be improved with higher resolution wave measurements and modelling, consideration of the rebuilding of attenuated waves in partial ice cover, and separate treatment of new ice. The adapted semiempirical theory is likely generally applicable to ice-infested coastal waters, but field studies in particular environments will be required to calibrate attenuation.