Articles | Volume 20, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-981-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-981-2026
Research article
 | 
06 Feb 2026
Research article |  | 06 Feb 2026

Observations of creep of polar firn at different temperatures

Yuan Li, Kaitlin Keegan, and Ian Baker

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Cited articles

Adolph, A. C. and Albert, M. R.: Gas diffusivity and permeability through the firn column at Summit, Greenland: measurements and comparison to microstructural properties, The Cryosphere, 8, 319–328, https://https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-319-2014, 2014. 
Albert, M. R., Shultz, E. F., and Perron, F. E.: Snow and firn permeability at Siple Dome, Antarctica, Ann. Glaciol., 31, 353–356, 2000. 
Alley, R. B., Clark, P. U., Huybrechts, P., and Joughin, I.: Ice-sheet and sea-level changes, Sci., 310, 456–460, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1114613. 2005. 
Ambach, W. and Eisner, H.: Rheological properties of temperate firn. Polarforschung, Bremerhaven, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research & German Society of Polar Research, 55, 71–77, 1985. 
Anderson, D. L. and Benson, C. S.: The densification and diagenesis of snow, in: Ice and Snow, edited by: Kingery, W. D., Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, M.I.T, 391–411, ISBN 0-262-61007-5, 1963. 
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Short summary
The compaction of firn provides valuable insights into the physical processes involved in the transition from snow to ice. Investigations into how temperature influences firn deformation across samples taken from various depths reveal distinct microstructural characteristics, including variations in density and other parameters. Firn exhibits different mechanical behaviors compared to fully dense ice, primarily due to its lower density, elevated temperatures, and increased effective stresses.
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