Monitoring the temperature-dependent elastic and anelastic properties in isotropic polycrystalline ice using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy

• Published in: The Cryosphere
• Main Authors: M. J. Vaughan, K. van Wijk, D. J. Prior, M. H. Bowman
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2016
• Subjects: Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Geology; QE1-996.5; Sea ice; The Cryosphere
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2821-2016; https://doaj.org/article/f72a3ee88b264b98b8a4db2a0abec5e4

The elastic and anelastic properties of ice are of interest in the study of the dynamics of sea ice, glaciers, and ice sheets. Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy allows quantitative estimates of these properties and aids calibration of active and passive seismic data gathered in the field. The elastic properties and anelastic quality factor Q in laboratory-manufactured polycrystalline isotropic ice cores decrease (reversibly) with increasing temperature, but compressional-wave speed and attenuation prove most sensitive to temperature, indicative of pre-melting of the ice. This method of resonant ultrasound spectroscopy can be deployed in the field, for those situations where shipping samples is difficult (e.g. remote locations), or where the properties of ice change rapidly after extraction (e.g. in the case of sea ice).