Some mechanical aspects of pingo growth and failure, western Arctic coast, Canada

Many closed-system pingos are underlain by sub-pingo water lenses, and the same is probably true of numerous open-system pingos. In the early growth stage the bending of the frozen overburden of a pingo by a sub-pingo water lens can be compared to the bending of a thin elastic plate. Although the as...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
Main Author: Mackay, J. Ross
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1987
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e87-108
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e87-108
Description
Summary:Many closed-system pingos are underlain by sub-pingo water lenses, and the same is probably true of numerous open-system pingos. In the early growth stage the bending of the frozen overburden of a pingo by a sub-pingo water lens can be compared to the bending of a thin elastic plate. Although the assumptions of elastic plate theory do not apply fully to a growing pingo, because time-dependent plastic and creep deformation are involved, the application of elastic plate theory nevertheless helps to explain the peripheral normal faulting and spring flow of pingos, summit failure, the ease with which elongated pingos appear to collapse, and the changing roles played by the radius and overburden thickness of pingos from early growth to the cessation of growth.