The cracking of ice during rapid unloading

Abstract

Abstract Experiments have established that cracks form within compressed ice during rapid unloading, provided that the initial compressive loading is sufficient to generate cracks. Cracks do not form when the ice is unloaded slowly. The unloading cracks are transverse to those formed while loading and appear as transgranular spurs to the loading cracks. They are attributed to the development of tensile stresses during the unloading.