The Mechanics of Glacier Flow

Abstract The flow of valley glaciers is examined in the light of recent laboratory experiments on the behaviour of ice under load. Simple expressions are given for the velocity distributions in some cases of laminar flow, and the modification of a pure laminar flow theory necessary to explain the fo...

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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) 1952
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000033967
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000033967
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Summary:Abstract The flow of valley glaciers is examined in the light of recent laboratory experiments on the behaviour of ice under load. Simple expressions are given for the velocity distributions in some cases of laminar flow, and the modification of a pure laminar flow theory necessary to explain the formation of transverse crevasses and thrust planes is considered. The paper ends with some remarks about the formation of crevasse patterns on the surfaces of glaciers. The statical equilibrium of a circular ice cap is discussed in an appendix.