Wave erosion of ice cliffs: melt rate due to reflection of non-breaking surface waves.
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| Title: | Wave erosion of ice cliffs: melt rate due to reflection of non-breaking surface waves. |
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| Authors: | Wolterman, Anya1, Wagner, Till J. W.2, Zoet, Lucas K.3, Pujara, Nimish1,4 npujara@wisc.edu |
| Source: | Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 6/10/2026, Vol. 1036, p1-31. 31p. |
| Subjects: | Surface waves (Fluids), Heat transfer, Chemistry experiments, Erosion, Icebergs, Ablation (Glaciology), Cliffs |
| Abstract: | Wave erosion of ice cliffs is one of the main mechanisms for waterline ablation of icebergs, glacier fronts and ice-shelf fronts. Despite its importance, this process is neither well understood nor extensively tested in controlled experiments and only coarsely parameterised in geophysical and climate models. We examine the surface-wave-driven melting of a vertical ice wall using both theory and laboratory experiments, with an emphasis on the flow-induced heat transport in the theory and on measurements of the melt rate profile under different wave conditions in the experiments. In both the theory and the experiments, we find that the wave-induced melt rate decays exponentially with depth. By analysing the oscillatory boundary layer flow, we find that an approximate wave-averaged balance of heat transport is given by horizontal diffusion and vertical advection due to an Eulerian boundary layer streaming current. By solving for this balance and obtaining the wave-averaged temperature field, we find an explicit expression for the wave-induced melt rate. Experimental data show a good match to this expression, especially for larger wave amplitudes and colder water temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Fluid Mechanics is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 194752268 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Wave erosion of ice cliffs: melt rate due to reflection of non-breaking surface waves. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wolterman%2C+Anya%22">Wolterman, Anya</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wagner%2C+Till+J%2E+W%2E%22">Wagner, Till J. W.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zoet%2C+Lucas+K%2E%22">Zoet, Lucas K.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pujara%2C+Nimish%22">Pujara, Nimish</searchLink><relatesTo>1,4</relatesTo><i> npujara@wisc.edu</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Fluid+Mechanics%22">Journal of Fluid Mechanics</searchLink>. 6/10/2026, Vol. 1036, p1-31. 31p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Surface+waves+%28Fluids%29%22">Surface waves (Fluids)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Heat+transfer%22">Heat transfer</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chemistry+experiments%22">Chemistry experiments</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Erosion%22">Erosion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Icebergs%22">Icebergs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ablation+%28Glaciology%29%22">Ablation (Glaciology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cliffs%22">Cliffs</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Wave erosion of ice cliffs is one of the main mechanisms for waterline ablation of icebergs, glacier fronts and ice-shelf fronts. Despite its importance, this process is neither well understood nor extensively tested in controlled experiments and only coarsely parameterised in geophysical and climate models. We examine the surface-wave-driven melting of a vertical ice wall using both theory and laboratory experiments, with an emphasis on the flow-induced heat transport in the theory and on measurements of the melt rate profile under different wave conditions in the experiments. In both the theory and the experiments, we find that the wave-induced melt rate decays exponentially with depth. By analysing the oscillatory boundary layer flow, we find that an approximate wave-averaged balance of heat transport is given by horizontal diffusion and vertical advection due to an Eulerian boundary layer streaming current. By solving for this balance and obtaining the wave-averaged temperature field, we find an explicit expression for the wave-induced melt rate. Experimental data show a good match to this expression, especially for larger wave amplitudes and colder water temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Fluid Mechanics is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1017/jfm.2026.11603 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 31 StartPage: 1 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Surface waves (Fluids) Type: general – SubjectFull: Heat transfer Type: general – SubjectFull: Chemistry experiments Type: general – SubjectFull: Erosion Type: general – SubjectFull: Icebergs Type: general – SubjectFull: Ablation (Glaciology) Type: general – SubjectFull: Cliffs Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Wave erosion of ice cliffs: melt rate due to reflection of non-breaking surface waves. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Wolterman, Anya – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Wagner, Till J. W. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Zoet, Lucas K. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Pujara, Nimish IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 10 M: 06 Text: 6/10/2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00221120 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 1036 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Fluid Mechanics Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
