Sea ice exhibits considerable seasonal and longer-term variations in extent,concentration, thickness, and age, and is characterized by a complex andcontinuously changing distribution of floe sizes and thicknesses,particularly in the marginal ice zone (MIZ). Models of sea ice used incurrent climate models keep track of its concentration and of thedistribution of ice thicknesses, but do not account for the floe sizedistribution and its potential effects on air–sea exchange and sea-iceevolution. Accurately capturing sea-ice variability in climate models mayrequire a better understanding and representation of the distribution of floesizes and thicknesses. We develop and demonstrate a model for the evolutionof the joint sea-ice floe size and thickness distribution that depends onatmospheric and oceanic forcing fields. The model accounts for effects due tomultiple processes that are active in the MIZ and seasonal ice zones:freezing and melting along the lateral side and base of floes, mechanicalinteractions due to floe collisions (ridging and rafting), and sea-icefracture due to wave propagation in the MIZ. The model is then examined anddemonstrated in a series of idealized test cases.
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