2022 Articles

Tidal Modulation of Ice Streams: Effect of Periodic Sliding Velocity on Ice Friction and Healing

McCarthy, Christine M.; Skarbek, Robert M.; Savage, Heather M.

This is an experimental study of how temperature, normal stress and and a periodic forcing velocity influence ice-on-rock friction. The motivation for the study is that many glaciers and ice streams show downstream velocities that are modulated by the tides, but with various sensitivities and styles of sliding. We found that by varying amplitude and frequency we could replicate the entire slip response of glaciers, including stick-slip, earthquake-like behavior.