Particle, kinetic and hydrodynamic models for sea ice floes, Part I: Non-rotating floes

Abstract

We introduce a comprehensive modeling framework for the dynamics of sea ice floes using particle, kinetic, and hydrodynamic approaches. Building upon the foundational work of Ha and Tadmor on the Cucker–Smale model for flocking, we derive a Vlasov-type kinetic formulation and a corresponding hydrodynamic description. The particle model incorporates essential physical properties of sea ice floes, including size, position, velocity, and interactions governed by Newtonian mechanics. By extending these principles, the kinetic model captures large-scale features through the phase-space distribution, and we also present a hydrodynamic model using the velocity moments and a suitable closure condition. In this paper, as an idea-introductory step, we assume that ice floes are non-rotating and focus on the linear velocity dynamics. Our approach highlights the role of contact forces, ocean drag effects, and conservation laws in the multiscale description of sea ice dynamics, offering a potential pathway for the improved understanding and prediction of sea ice behaviors in changing climatic conditions.