In situ measurements of an energetic wave event in the Arctic marginal ice zone

R/V Lance serendipitously encountered an energetic wave event around 77°N, 26°E on 2 May 2010. Onboard GPS records, interpreted as the surface wave signal, show the largest waves recorded in the Arctic region with ice cover. Comparing the measurements with a spectral wave model indicated three phases of interaction: (1) wave blocking by ice, (2) strong attenuation of wave energy and fracturing of ice by wave forcing, and (3) uninhibited propagation of the peak waves and an extension of allowed waves to higher frequencies (above the peak). Wave properties during fracturing of ice cover indicated increased groupiness. Wave‐ice interaction presented binary behavior: there was zero transmission in unbroken ice and total transmission in fractured ice. The fractured ice front traveled at some fraction of the wave group speed. Findings do not motivate new dissipation schemes for wave models, though they do indicate the need for two‐way, wave‐ice coupling. Key Points Largest waves measured under ice cover in the Arctic High‐resolution, coupled wave‐ice models are required for accurate predictions Nonlinearly enhanced waves may lead to initial ice breakup