Fracture field for large-scale ice dynamics

Published: Feb 1, 2012 by The PISM Authors


Title	Fracture field for large-scale ice dynamics
Authors	Torsten Albrecht and Anders Levermann
Venue	Journal of Glaciology
Location	Antarctic ice sheet

A macroscopic fracture-density field is introduced into PISM. Its evolution includes the initiation and growth of fractures as well as their advection with two-dimensional ice flow. To first approximation, fracture growth is assumed to depend on the spreading rate only, while fracture initiation is defined in terms of principal stresses. The inferred fracture-density fields compare well with observed elongate surface structures. The aim of this study is to introduce the field and investigate which of the observed surface structures can be reproduced by the simplest physically motivated fracture source terms.

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In the department of Integrative Earth system science at the newly founded Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (MPI-GEA) in Jena, Germany, we are providing a three-year PhD position as part of the DFG priority program “Antarctic Research with Comparative Investigations in Arctic Ice Areas”.