Gravitational Stresses in Floating Ice Sheets

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Evans, R.J., Parmerter, R. Reid
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1979
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; Arctic; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Ice Sheet; Journal of Glaciology; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000014179; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000014179

Abstract This note is addressed to the determination of the in-plane components of stress in floating ice sheets due to gravity and the hydrostatic pressure in the water. The distribution and magnitude of these stresses are of interest with regard to crack propagation in sea ice. Two cases are considered. In the first, the ice sheet is formed on land by accretion at the top surface and then introduced into the water, such as happens in the Antarctic. In the second, the ice is formed in the water by accretion on the bottom, which is the usual situation in the Arctic pack ice.