Towards a high-resolution sea-ice model: exploring the potential of modelling ice floe fracture with the peridynamic method

Abstract Sea-ice deformation is concentrated at linear kinematic features such as ridges and leads. Ridging and leads opening processes are highly related to sea-ice fracture. Different rheology models have been successfully applied in various scenarios. However, most of the approaches adopted are based on continuum mechanics that do not explicitly model fracture processes. There are emerging needs for a more physically informed modelling methods that explicitly address fracture at the kilometre scale. In pursuing this objective, in this paper we explored the potential of applying a promising mesh free numerical method, peridynamics (PD), in modelling ice floe (~km) fractures. PD offers a physically and mathematically consistent theory through which spontaneous emergence and propagation of cracks can be achieved. The integral nature of the governing equations in PD remains valid even if a crack appears. We numerically investigated in this paper the tensile fracture (e.g. lead opening) of an elastic heterogenous ice floe. The modelling results were compared with published numerical results obtained by another numerical method. The potentials and challenges of PD in this application are discussed and summarized.