The marginal ice zone (MIZ) is the dynamic interface between the open ocean and sea ice-covered ocean. It is characterized by interactions between surface gravity waves and granular ice covers consisting of relatively small, thin chunks of sea ice known as floes. This structure gives the MIZ markedly different properties to the thicker, quasi-continuous ice cover of the inner pack that waves do not reach, strongly influencing various atmosphere-ocean fluxes, especially the heat flux. The MIZ is a significant component of contemporary sea ice covers in both the Antarctic, where the ice cover is surrounded by the Southern Ocean and its fierce storms, and the Arctic, where the MIZ now occupies vast expanses in areas that were perennial only a decade or two ago. The trend towards the MIZ is set to accelerate, as it reinforces positive feedbacks weakening the ice cover. Therefore, understanding the complex, multiple-scale dynamics of the MIZ is essential to understanding how sea ice is evolving and to predicting its future. This article is part of the theme issue 'Theory, modelling and observations of marginal ice zone dynamics: multidisciplinary perspectives and outlooks'.
Keywords: dynamics; ice floes; marginal ice zone; ocean waves; sea ice; wave–ice interactions.