Past exam of the short options paper shared by Parts A and B of the physics course of the University of Oxford / 2019 / S7 / 2 / e / Solution

Let $m$ be the ice mass for which the stated drag coefficients are defined, $K=k_1+k_2$ and $f=2\Omega \sin \ell$. With stationary water, the steady horizontal ice equations areThe linear system givesFor fixed wind speed $V=10\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$, the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality minimizes this component whenThus the wind must blow towards a direction east of south by ${\tan }^{-1}(mf/K)$ in the northern hemisphere, west of south in the southern hemisphere, and due south at the equator. This compensates the Coriolis force; at the optimum $v_x=0$ and the ice moves due south. If the drag coefficients are per unit mass, replace $K/m$ by the corresponding total drag rate. “Blows towards” avoids the opposite convention used when naming winds by their origin.