Author(s): Terry Prowse; Michael Demuth
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: The borehole jack indentor, a tool used extensively in sea-ice mechanics research, has been applied recently in studies of river-ice break-up. It was used to derive data describing the pre-break-up state of ice-cover "strength" as modified by radiation-induced structural deterioration. Applying methodology from the sea-ice field, preliminary testing evaluated the relative importance of thermal and structural melt-induced changes to strength. Subsequent studies have examined the relative rates of strength decrease for covers of differing composition; spatial variability being an important consideration when describing the resistance of an ice-cover prior to break-up. This paper describes the nature of river-ice break-up and illustrates the potential of the borehole jack indentor to a) provide a surrogate measure of ice-cover resistance to break-up forces, and b) quantify decreases in the internal strength of an ice cover.
Year: 1992