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Fabrics in polar ice sheets: development and prediction.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 22, 1988
Summary
Fabric orientation in polar ice sheets reveals deformation history and influences ice flow. This study quantitatively links c-axis fabric patterns to strain and stress, improving our understanding of ice sheet dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Glaciology
- Solid Earth Geophysics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Ice sheet fabrics, specifically the orientation of crystallographic axes (c-axes), record past deformation.
- These fabrics influence ice viscosity, impacting ice flow dynamics and geophysical measurements.
- Understanding fabric development is crucial for modeling ice sheets and analogous materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize experimental and theoretical results on ice sheet fabrics.
- To establish quantitative relationships between c-axis fabric orientation, cumulative strain, and stress state.
- To analyze fabric evolution across various ice flow patterns.
Main Methods:
- Review and synthesis of existing experimental data on ice deformation.
- Integration of theoretical models describing fabric development.
- Analysis of c-axis orientation changes under different stress and strain conditions.
Main Results:
- C-axis fabrics in ice sheets are quantitatively linked to cumulative strain and stress.
- Specific flow patterns dictate c-axis rotation: basal shear, divergent, and parallel flow rotate c-axes towards the vertical.
- Convergent flow results in c-axis rotation towards a vertical transverse plane.
Conclusions:
- C-axis fabric orientation provides a reliable indicator of ice sheet deformational history and stress state.
- The findings enhance geophysical sensing and modeling of ice sheets.
- This work offers insights into fabric development applicable to other geological and engineering materials.
