Articles | Volume 15, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4589-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4589-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
29 Sep 2021
Research article |
| 29 Sep 2021
| 29 Sep 2021
The role of grain size evolution in the rheology of ice: implications for reconciling laboratory creep data and the Glen flow law
Dept. Earth & Environmental Sciences, Boston College, Chestnut
Hill, MA 02467, USA
David L. Goldsby
Dept. Earth & Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Greg Hirth
Dept. Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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Short summary
Grain size is a key microphysical property of ice, controlling the rheological behavior of ice sheets and glaciers. In this study, we develop a new model for grain size evolution in ice and show that it accurately predicts grain size in laboratory experiments and in natural ice core data. The model provides a physical explanation for the power-law relationship between stress and strain rate known as the Glen law and can be used as a predictive tool for modeling ice flow in natural systems.
Grain size is a key microphysical property of ice, controlling the rheological behavior of ice...
