Slip in Single Crystals of Ice

Abstract

AbstractRectangular specimens of ice (c.5 cm × 2 cm × 0.5 cm) were cut from large single crystals (c, 10 cm × 5 cm2) grown from pure water by a modified Bridgman technique. When these specimens were deformed under controlled conditions, slip lines which were predominantly parallel to the basal plane became visible. In some cases short. perpendicular segments were also seen which can be interpreted as evidence for cross-slip in ice. Measurements of slip-band spacings were made on silvered “formvar” replicas of some deformed crystals. These measurements showed that “coarse” slip occurred when the resolved shear stress on the basal plane.σ, was greater than about 0.2 bars, and that the average thickness of the slip lamellae,d(cm) was approximately given by Wakahama’s relationship. (σ−0.2)d= 0.45 × 10−3. At lower stresses “fine” slip occurred, and the relationship between the average thickness of the lamellae and the resolved shear stress was more adequately described by Taylor’s formula,σd= 7.2 × 10−5. It is. however, possible that both coarse and fine slip occurred at higher stresses, but that the fine slip was then below the limit of resolution.