THERMODYNAMIC ICE-OCEAN MODEL - DESCRIPTI ON AND EXPERIMENTS

A coupled ice-ocean model was developed. An ice model was based on ela stoplastic theology. Ice mass and closeness were introduced by distrib ution functions. The thermodynamic model was applied to each individua l class of ice. A parametrization of the advection of partial masses a nd ice closeness was based on a fourth-order accurate algorithm with s olution monotonicity preserved. An ocean model was represented by a th ree-dimensional time-dependent baroclinic model with a free surface. T he coupled model was used for simulation of buoy drifts in the central Arctic and for calculation of long-period and seasonal variability of ice and snow thickness, temperature, and salinity in some parts of th e Arctic Ocean. A comparison between calculated and observed buoy drif ts showed a good agreement. An analysis of ice edge dynamics showed th at the model keeps a well-defined edge between free water and close-pa cked ice. The terms of the heat-balance equation for the ice and snow surfaces were estimated. The obtained growth rates of thin and thick i ces and heat and salt fluxes under these ices were found to be essenti ally different. The model reproduced the seasonal cycle of temperature and salinity in the upper layer of the ocean, as well as the heat flu x from the ocean to the bottom surface of the ice. The annual mean flu x was about 1.2-1.3 W/m(2).