Experiments to determine the extent to which the behaviour of individual faults alters the properties of the sea ice sheet as a whole

Twenty two beams were cut in total. Mechanical measurements and characterisation of the resulting cracks was completed both before and after refreezing by using brine volume, thermal and optical measurements.

The processes of stressing the ice to the point of fracture was monitored using acoustic emission measurements. The data obtained from the sea ice beams was used to characterise a range of naturally occurring cracks and imperfections and to relate these to the physical performance of the ice sheet as a whole. Slots that were cut in the sea ice during refreezing were excavated at specific time intervals to observe the progress of freezing by recording the interface shape, and the ice thickness in the crack.