On the transport of moisture in polythermal glaciers
- 1 March 1984
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Informa UK Limited in Geophysical & Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics
- Vol. 28 (2), 99-140
- https://doi.org/10.1080/03091928408222846
Abstract
We reconsider the problem of formulation of a model for polythermal glaciers, focussing attention in particular on the temperate zone where ice and water can coexist at the melting temperature. The energy equation for the ice-water mixture in this zone introduces a moisture flux, and a constitutive law for this flux is required. By analogy with the flow through a porous medium, we use Darcy's law (i.e. the second momentum equation of a two-phase flow model with “porous” geometry), and then require a mechanical constitutive relation relating the water pressure p w to the average ice pressure p i . Experience in two phase flows suggests that p w =p i may be problematical, and experience in soil mechanics suggests it is inaccurate. A constitutive relation is therefore presented based on work of Nye (1976), and its effect on the well-posedness of the model is examined. Considerations of the sort presented here have clear relevance in the formulation of similar problems in other geophysical situations, notably mantle convection.Keywords
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