A Theory of the Consolidation of Snow

Abstract

AbstractA consolidation theory is developed for an age-hardened snow under uniaxial stress in the porosity range of 35 to 55 per cent by considering one mechanism, viz. viscous flow of interparticle bonds. For a uniaxial stressσthe differential equation for porositynin terms of timetis shown to bewhereaandνare structural parameters andηis the coefficient of viscosity of ice. Comparison of this equation and the integrated form with existing data predicts consistent and reasonable values fora. The predicted values ofη/νrange from 10−2to 102times the published values for,ηwhich may indicate thatν, and hence the consolidation rate, is greatly affected by the diagenetic history of the snow and the conditions of experimentation.