Acoustic Emission in Snow at Constant Rates of Deformation

Abstract

Abstract Acoustic emissions in the audio spectrum are reported from observations of laboratory experiments conducted on snow samples in uniaxial compression. A number of tests show the pattern of acoustic emissions to be a function of the rate of deformation. Over the frequency range 20 to 7 000 Hz acoustic emissions are associated with rates of deformation corresponding to brittle fracture of the snow sample. Though probably present, no acoustic emissions were detected from samples deforming plastically.