Elastic Constants of Artificial and Natural Ice Samples by Brillouin Spectroscopy

• Published in: Journal of glaciology Vol. 29; no. 103; pp. 433 - 460
• Main Authors: Gammon, P. H., Kiefte, H., Clouter, M. J., Denner, W. W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 1983; International Glaciological Society
• Subjects: Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Snow. Ice. Glaciers; Elastic constant; Polycrystalline ice; Brillouin effect; Ice; Elastic properties; Air bubble; Sea ice
• ISSN: 0022-1430; 1727-5652
• DOI: 10.3189/S0022143000030355

The method of Brillouin spectroscopy has been used to measure the dynamic elastic moduli of local homogeneous regions in ice samples representing four different environments of formation. These included artificial ice frozen from distilled water, clear monocrystalline glacial ice, bubbly lake ice, and sea ice. The samples studied were found to have identical local elastic properties. Accordingly the elastic properties of homogeneous monocrystalline ice have been found not to vary with sample age, with impurities present at the time of freezing, or with crystal quality. The bulk elastic properties of ice remain, of course, subject to modification by different crystal grain textures and the presence of inclusions of various sorts. Because the elastic constants obtained in the present work are subject to smaller overall uncertainty than values measured previously, it is believed that they are the most reliable obtained to date. The values at −16 °C were determined to be c 11 = 139.29 ± 0.41, c 12 = 70.82 ± 0.39, c 13 = 57.65 ± 0.23, c 33 = 150.10 ± 0.46, c 44 = 30.14 ± 0.11 (units of 108 N m− 2 or kbar). A full range of derived elastic parameters for monocrystalline ice and for homogeneous isotropic polycrystalline ice has been calculated.