1. The drift of icebergs under wind action
- Author
-
M. N. Houssais, M. Crépon, and B. Saint Guily
- Subjects
Atmospheric Science ,Ecology ,Scale (ratio) ,Mixed layer ,Paleontology ,Soil Science ,Forestry ,Geophysics ,Aquatic Science ,Oceanography ,Action (physics) ,Iceberg ,Lift (force) ,Geostrophic current ,Space and Planetary Science ,Geochemistry and Petrology ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Trajectory ,Thermocline ,Physics::Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics ,Computer Science::Databases ,Geology ,Earth-Surface Processes ,Water Science and Technology - Abstract
The steady motion of an iceberg under wind action is studied in the presence of a mixed layer. Analytical solutions are obtained when the iceberg depth is less than or much larger than the mixed layer depth. A few numerical examples are given. Our results show that winds of medium or low strength have a limited effect on the motion of deep icebergs extending below the thermocline. Furthermore, the larger the horizontal scale of the iceberg the smaller the wind drift. Hence for winds of less than 10 m s−1the trajectory of deep icebergs more than 1 km long is shown to be representative of geostrophic currents. The effect of a possible “lift” force is also estimated.
- Published
- 1988
- Full Text
- View/download PDF