The fracture of water ice Ih: A short overview

Abstract

This paper presents a short overview of the fracture of water ice Ih. Topics include the ductile-to-brittle transition, tensile and compressive strength, compressive failure under multiaxial loading, compressive failure modes, and brittle failure on the geophysical scale (Arctic sea ice cover, Europa's icy crust). Emphasis is placed on the underlying physical mechanisms. Where appropriate, comment is made on the formation of high-latitude impact craters on Mars. © The Meteoritical Society, 2006.