Crack Propagation in Freshwater and Saline Ice

Abstract

AbstractCrack propagation in columnar saline and freshwater ice has been investigated with high-speed photography, acoustic emission detection and the resistance method. High-speed photography was found to be a single reliable technique. The resistance method proved effective for freshwater ice samples, but not for saline ice samples due to the presence of conductive fluid inclusions. Acoustic emissions pinpointed the moment of crack initiation, but did not correspond to the crack propagation time. Crack velocity has been characterized over a temperature range of -5°C to -30 °C for freshwater and saline ice. Freshwater ice exhibited an overall average velocity of 198 m/s, and did not vary with temperature. Crack velocity in saline ice demonstrated temperature dependence, increasing from an average of 86 m/s in the -5°C to -20°C range, to 131 m/s at -30°C. The crack velocity was also shown to have a general dependence on fracture toughness K' of the material, however, the microstructural variation between samples is also shown to influence significantly the crack behavior in both saline and freshwater ice. Nonuniform crack tip advance and crack reorientation were observed as crack slowing mechanisms in freshwater ice, while in saline ice fracture crack tip blunting on voids greatly reduced average crack velocities.