Mechanism of sea ice formation based on comprehensive observation data in Liaodong Bay, China

Sea ice disaster is one of the principal natural hazards that affect some coastal areas of China, and the formation of ice cover in a wave field has important characteristics. However, analysis of the mechanism in which waves affect the thermodynamic process of sea ice is lacking, and the influence of waves is not taken into consideration in numerical models of sea ice, largely because of a lack of simultaneous observations of waves and sea ice. Using observational data of the sea ice cycle in the coastal waters of Liaodong Bay (China), we analyzed the characteristics of hydrology, meteorology, and sea ice thickness during the formation of sea ice, and explored the changes in the interrelationships among heat fluxes, waves, and sea ice under actual sea conditions. The results could provide a decision-making support as a reference to the establishment and improvement of China’s early warning system to sea ice disasters, and the protection of ice drilling operations and production platform safety.