DUCTILE SALINE ICE

Experiments have shown that tensile ductility of about 5% or more can be imparted to columnar, saline ice by pre-compressing the material by about 3.5%. This effect is similar to that observed in granular, fres h-water ice and is attributed to the operation of both dislocation cre ep and diffusion creep within that part of the matrix which recrystall ized during the pre-compressive deformation.