Organisers:
Noa Kraitzman (Macquarie University)
Mike Meylan (University of Newcastle)
Ian Eisenman (University of California, San Diego, USA)
Luke Bennetts (University of Melbourne)

Program Description:

Sea ice is a complex, dynamic material consisting mainly of solid fresh-water ice, liquid salty brine, and gas inclusion. It plays a fundamental role in the climate system and is a sensitive indicator of Earth’s changing climate. While sea ice is a thin layer separating the ocean and the atmosphere, the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) is the dynamic interface between the open ocean and sea ice-covered ocean characterised by interactions between surface gravity waves and granular ice covers, and is a transitional zone between open sea and dense drift ice. The MIZ is crucial in global climate systems by mediating essential atmospheric and oceanic exchanges. Critical to understanding the MIZ is the development of sophisticated mathematical models.

This program is designed to explore the most pressing scientific issues surrounding the mathematical modelling of the MIZ. Understanding MIZ has come to rely on sophisticated models whose theories rest on various mathematical fields, including dynamical systems and bifurcation theory, partial differential equations, numerical analysis, diffusion processes, percolation theory, homogenisation, and statistical physics. Such models introduce spatial and temporal dynamics with the challenge of understanding the underlying physics to set the boundary conditions appropriately. The development and verification of mathematical models are based on either experimental data or in situ measurements. This workshop will convene leading modellers from diverse disciplines studying MIZ dynamics with the aim of fostering meaningful collaboration. The focus will encompass vital MIZ properties, including wave-sea ice interactions within Earth System Models, floe size distribution modelling, and biogeochemical processes. A central objective is to identify potential tipping points in the climate system through a better understanding of wave momentum and energy transfer within the MIZ.

Program Structure:

Participant List:
Vernon Squire (University of Otago)
Mike Meylan (University of Newcastle)
Stuart Hawkins (Macquarie University)
Alex Fraser (University of Tasmania)
Christina Schallenberg (CSIRO, AAPP, University of Tasmania (IMAS))
Klaus Meiners (Australian Antarctic Division)
Luke Bennetts (University of Melbourne)
Guillaume Boutin (Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center)
Ken Golden (University of Utah)
Isaac Klapper (Temple University)
Ian Eisenman (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego)
Noa Kraitzman (Macquarie University)
Pat Langhorne (University of Otago)
Noah Day (University of Melbourne)
Phillip Reid (Australian Bureau of Meteorology)
Aikaterini Tavri (Brown University)
Gillian Cheong (Brown University)
Waylon Wu (University of Melbourne)
Siobhan O’Farrell (University of Melbourne)
Nico Mokus (University of Otago)
Rob Massom (Australian Antarctic Division)
Hardik Gaur (Monash University)
Yawei Chen (University of Melbourne)
Nathan Teder (University of Melbourne)
Registration:

• Registration is now closed.
• Arrival date: 20 September 2026
• Departure date: 2 October 2026

ASSOCIATED EVENTS
MATRIX Wine and Cheese Afternoon 22 September 2026
On the first Tuesday of each program, MATRIX provides a pre-dinner wine and cheese afternoon. Produce is locally-sourced to showcase delicacies from the region.