Cold compaction of water ice
Geophysical Research Letters
By: W.B. Durham, W.B. McKinnon, and L.A. Stern
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Abstract
Hydrostatic compaction of granulated water ice was measured in laboratory experiments at temperatures 77 K to 120 K. We performed step-wise hydrostatic pressurization tests on 5 samples to maximum pressures P of 150 MPa, using relatively tight (0.18-0.25 mm) and broad (0.25-2.0 mm) starting grain-size distributions. Compaction change of volume is highly nonlinear in P, typical for brittle, granular materials. No time-dependent creep occurred on the lab time scale. Significant residual porosity (???0.10) remains even at highest P. Examination by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals a random configuration of fractures and broad distribution of grain sizes, again consistent with brittle behavior. Residual porosity appears as smaller, well-supported micropores between ice fragments. Over the interior pressures found in smaller midsize icy satellites and Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs), substantial porosity can be sustained over solar system history in the absence of significant heating and resultant sintering. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.
Suggested Citation
Durham, W., McKinnon, W., and Stern, L., 2005, Cold compaction of water ice: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 32, no. 18, p. 1-5, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL023484.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Cold compaction of water ice |
| Series title | Geophysical Research Letters |
| DOI | 10.1029/2005GL023484 |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue | 18 |
| Publication Date | September 23, 2005 |
| Year Published | 2005 |
| Language | English |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Geophysical Research Letters |
| First page | 1 |
| Last page | 5 |