What do you believe is the single most important factor driving up the cost of living in Nigeria?

University of Adelaide researchers have developed a new theoretical model to predict the distances ocean waves can travel to break up sea ice.

Monitoring of ocean wave propagation is important to predict how ice covering the Arctic and Antarctic seas responds to climate change, but the incumbent model was initially developed in the 1970s and 1980s.

Dr. Luke Bennetts and Jordan Pitt from the University of Adelaide's School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences investigated how the changes in breaking up the ice affect wave propagation, and published their findings in Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences.

"Previously, distances ocean waves can break up sea ice cover were only considered in terms of gradual reductions in wave energy over distance," said Dr. Bennetts.

"Our results show that large reductions can occur over a small distance until an unbroken ice cover begins to break up, and that this additional consideration can alter interpretations of field observations."

• Read More