Consequent to recent experiments in marginal ice zones (MIZ), advances in remote sensing, and theoretical progress, studies have been published which invoke wave-ice interactions to explain or predict certain geophysical phenomena. While admirable and desirable in principle, these works are based on a refutable surface boundary condition intended for a sheet or plate of solid ice, rather than a medium made up of individual ice floes. A case is argued for prudence, as derived results may originate entirely from the application of an inappropriate MIZ model. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1995