A review of level ice and brash ice growth models

Brash ice forms in harbours and ship channels from frequent ship passages and the resulting freezing-breaking cycles create a unique ice formation. The brash ice accumulation over the winter season is a result of meteorological, thermodynamical and mechanical processes. A reliable brash ice growth model is an important asset when determining navigation routes through ice conditions and when establishing port ice management solutions. This review aims to describe the brash ice development and its modelling as well as the key parameters that influence the brash ice growth and its estimation. This paper summarises the brash ice growth models and the fundamental theories of level ice growth upon which these models are based, and outlines the main knowledge gaps. The results highlight the importance of porosity and piece size distribution and their effect on the consolidation process. The inclusion of the brash ice lateral movement and the side ridge formation would improve the accuracy of forecast models. Furthermore, the findings of the study identify the effect of omitting meteorological parameters such as snow and radiation, from the brash ice growth models. Their contribution to the level ice thickness suggests a significant influence on the brash ice consolidation process.

Automated summary

This paper describes the development and modeling of brash ice, as well as the key parameters that influence its growth and estimation. The results emphasize the importance of porosity and piece size distribution in the consolidation process of brash ice. Inclusion of lateral movement of the ice and side ridge formation would improve the accuracy of forecast models. Additionally, omitting meteorological parameters can significantly affect the consolidation process of brash ice.