Linear Elastic and Viscoelastic Deformation Behavior of Ice

Abstract

The dependence of overall elastic and viscoelastic behavior of polycrystals on properties of hexagonal single crystals of ice is predicted using established methods of micromechanical analysis. The self-consistent and bounding methods are used first to relate elastic behavior of S2 columnar and granular ice to single crystal properties. The results for S2 ice are then extended to viscoelastic behavior in order to relate overall creep behavior, as well as other time and rate-dependent behavior, to crystal parameters. Good agreement with experimental results is shown. Emphasis in this paper is on linear viscoelastic behavior of S2 ice due only to intragranular creep. The effect of this creep and grain boundary sliding on microcracking is considered briefly in the concluding remarks.