The Effect of Longitudinal Stress on the Shear Stress at the Base of an Ice Sheet

Robin (1967) and Budd (1968, unpublished) have succeeded in connecting the variations in surface slope of an ice sheet with variations in the gradient of the longitudinal strain-rate. This paper tries to improve the theoretical basis of their work. By choice of a suitable coordinate system and suita...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Glaciology
Main Author: Nye, J. F.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1969
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000031191
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000031191
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Summary:Robin (1967) and Budd (1968, unpublished) have succeeded in connecting the variations in surface slope of an ice sheet with variations in the gradient of the longitudinal strain-rate. This paper tries to improve the theoretical basis of their work. By choice of a suitable coordinate system and suitable redefinition of the variables, Budd’s formula for the basal shear stress is derived with a minimum of restrictive assumptions. The resulting formula, containing the gradient of a longitudinal stress, is thought to be of high accuracy for the two-dimensional flow of cold ice sheets, and is valid for slopes of any magnitude.