Physics and Mechanics of the Breakup of Warm Antarctic Sea Ice: In-Situ Experiments and Modeling

这个项目是研究南极海冰如何对风和海浪施加的压力做出反应，以及海冰内部的温度分布如何影响这些反应。通过施加一系列可控应力并观察其影响，对南春麦克默多湾暖海冰的变形和断裂进行实验。众所周知，大浮冰受微观结构各向异性的影响，但其破裂方式与小浮冰不同，因此有必要在几十米尺度上进行实验，以便将破裂过程有效地外推到更大尺度上，从而应用于破冰工程问题。本研究的关键是获得冰的微观结构的详细信息，如晶体结构、盐水通道和冰织物中的其他缺陷，并有一个完善的理论框架来指导实验工作和后续的模型开发。这些发现将对冰破裂的潜在机制提供重要的见解，并将显著提高这一过程模型的可靠性。这项工作将提高对南极海冰在适用于冰盖破裂的尺度上的变形和断裂的理解和建模能力。

This project is a study of how the antarctic sea ice cover responds to stresses applied by wind and ocean waves, and how the temperature distribution within the sea ice affects these responses. Experiments will be conducted on the deformation and fracture of warm sea ice in McMurdo Sound in the austral Spring by applying a series of controlled stresses and observing their effects. It is known that large ice floes are affected by microstructural anisotropies, but do not fracture in the same way as small ones do, therefore it is necessary to carry out experiments on the scale of tens of meters in order to validly extrapolate the fracture process to the larger scales that have applications to engineering problems of breaking ice. Crucial elements for this study are the obtaining of detailed information on the microstructure of the ice, such as crystal structure, brine channels, and other flaws in the ice fabric, and having a sound theoretical framework to guide the experimental work and subsequent model development. These findings will give important insight into the underlying mechanisms of ice breakup and will signi.cantly improve the reliability of models of this process. This work will improve the understanding of and ability to model the deformation and fracture of Antarctic sea ice at scales applicable to the breakup of ice sheets.