Power laws in the sea ice floe size distribution: a stochastic theory
Abstrak
Sea ice is a complex system, and observations have shown that ice segments (i.e., floes) have a wide range of sizes, with a floe size distribution that follows a power law. However, a theory for the power law and its exponent have remained elusive. Here, floe-resolving numerical simulations are investigated with a discrete element model, in order to gain further information by gathering statistics of fracture and welding events. Then, based on the insights from the floe-resolving simulations, a stochastic fragmentation-coagulation theory is proposed. Exact solutions are found with a power law. The power-law exponent can take a variety of values, and it depends on the fracture and welding rates. Such behavior is reminiscent of seasonal changes in the power-law exponent, which have been reported in past analyses of observational data.
Topik & Kata Kunci
Penulis (7)
Samuel N. Stechmann
Jiuhua Hu
Brandon P. Montemuro
Nan Chen
Georgy E. Manucharyan
Evelyn Tollar
Yujia Zhang
Akses Cepat
- Tahun Terbit
- 2026
- Bahasa
- en
- Sumber Database
- arXiv
- Akses
- Open Access ✓