Experiments on the Deformation of Ice

This paper describes compression tests at −1.5° C. on blocks of ice containing many small crystals in random orientation. Results show that ice does not possess a constant coefficient of viscosity, but obeys a more complicated relation between compressive stress u and strain rate . For the stress range 1.5–10 Kg. cm −2 this relation is approximately of the form , where n is a constant equal to about 4. A method of preparing small cylindrical single crystals of ice of a desired orientation is also described.