Measurement of fracture toughness of an ice core from Antarctica

Abstract

Abstract. The critical fracture toughness is a material parameter describing the resistance of a cracked body to further crack extension. It is an important parameter to simulate and predict the break-up behaviour of ice shelves from calving of single icebergs to the disintegration of entire ice shelves over a wide range of length scales. The fracture toughness values are calculated with equations that are derived from an elastic stress analysis. Additionally, an X-ray computer tomography (CT scanner) was used to identify the density as a function of depth. The critical fracture toughness of 91 Antarctic inland ice samples with densities between 840 to 870 kg m−3 has been determined by applying a four-point-bending technique on single edge v-notched beam samples. The examined ice core was drilled 70 m north of Kohnen Station, Dronnning Maud Land (75°00' S, 00°04' E, 2882 m). Supplementary data are available at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.835321.