Abstract
The processes of formation of natural ice masses on Earth are described and characteristics of the most common types of ice on our planet are presented. First, mechanisms involved in the formation of sea ice from water are discussed, with a focus on the influence of environmental conditions prevailing during the development of ice on its structure and mechanical properties. Then, mechanisms that are involved in the transformation of snow into glacier ice in Antarctica and Greenland are described, and the processes which continuously change ice properties as ice particles move through a polar ice sheet from its surface to depth over geophysical time scales are outlined. Some aspects of the formation and evolution of macroscopic anisotropy of ice are also briefly discussed (more details on these topics are provided in Chapter 6 of the book). The chapter is concluded with a short presentation of the most important features of polar ice shelves and icebergs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Alley RB (1992) Flow-law hypotheses for ice-sheet modelling. J Glaciol 38(129):245–256
De La Chapelle S, Castelnau O, Lipenkov V, Duval P (1998) Dynamic recrystallization and texture development in ice as revealed by the study of deep ice cores in Antarctica and Greenland. J Geophys Res 103(B3):5091–5105. https://doi.org/10.1029/97JB02621
Dempsey JP (2000) Research trends in ice mechanics. Int J Solids Struct 37(1–2):131–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-7944(01)00032-7
Faria SH, Weikusat I, Azuma N (2014a) The microstructure of polar ice. Part I: highlights from ice core research. J Struct Geol 61:2–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2013.09.010
Faria SH, Weikusat I, Azuma N (2014b) The microstructure of polar ice. Part II: state of the art. J Struct Geol 61:21–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2013.11.003
Gow AJ, Meese DA, Alley RB, Fitzpatrick JJ, Anandakrishnan S, Woods GA, Elder BC (1997) Physical and structural properties of the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 ice core: a review. J Geophys Res 102(C12):26559–26575. https://doi.org/10.1029/97JC00165
Gow AJ, Williamson TC (1976) Rheological implications of the internal structure and crystal fabrics of the West Antarctic ice sheet as revealed by deep core drilling at Byrd Station. Geol Soc Am Bull 87(12):1665–1677
Greve R, Blatter H (2009) Dynamics of ice sheets and glaciers. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Herron SL, Langway CC (1982) A comparison of ice fabrics and textures at Camp Century, Greenland and Byrd Station, Antarctica. Ann Glaciol 3:118–124
Hobbs PV (2010) Ice physics. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Lipenkov VY, Barkov NI, Duval P, Pimienta P (1989) Crystalline texture of the 2083 m ice core at Vostok Station, Antarctica. J Glaciol 35(121):392–398
Lliboutry L, Duval P (1985) Various isotropic and anisotropic ices found in glaciers and polar ice caps and their corresponding rheologies. Ann Gheophys 3(2):207–224
Mangeney A, Califano F, Castelnau O (1996) Isothermal flow of an anisotropic ice sheet in the vicinity of an ice divide. J Geophys Res 101(B12):28189–28204
Mangeney A, Califano F, Hutter K (1997) A numerical study of anisotropic, low Reynolds number, free surface flow for ice sheet modeling. J Geophys Res 102(B10):22749–22764
Nakawo M (1983) Measurements on ice porosity of sea ice. Ann Glaciol 4:204–208
Nakawo M, Sinha NK (1981) Growth rate and salinity profile of first-year ice in the high Arctic. J Glaciol 27(96):315–330
Paterson WSB (1994) The physics of glaciers, 3rd edn. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford
Russel-Head DS, Budd WF (1979) Ice-sheet flow properties derived from bore-hole shear measurements combined with ice-core studies. J Glaciol 24(90):117–130
Sanderson TJO (1988) Ice mechanics. Risks to offshore structures. Graham and Trotman, London
Schulson EM, Duval P (2009) Creep and fracture of ice. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Stander E, Michel B (1989) The effect of fluid flow on the development of preferred orientations in sea ice: Laboratory experiments. Cold Reg Sci Technol 17(2):153–161
Staroszczyk R, Morland LW (2000) Plane ice-sheet flow with evolving orthotropic fabric. Ann Glaciol 30:93–101
Thorsteinsson T, Kipfstuhl J, Miller H (1997) Textures and fabrics in the GRIP ice core. J Geophys Res 102(C12):26583–26599. https://doi.org/10.1029/97JC00161
Timco GW, Weeks WF (2010) A review of the engineering properties of sea ice. Cold Reg Sci Technol 60(2):107–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2009.10.003
Weeks WF (2010) On sea ice. University of Alaska Press, Fairbanks
Weeks WF, Gow AJ (1978) Crystal alignments in the fast ice of Arctic Alaska. J Geophys Res 85(C2):1137–1146
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Staroszczyk, R. (2019). Formation and Types of Natural Ice Masses. In: Ice Mechanics for Geophysical and Civil Engineering Applications. GeoPlanet: Earth and Planetary Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03038-4_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03038-4_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-03037-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-03038-4
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)