Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufm.p23e..06p&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #P23E-06
Physics
[1825] Hydrology / Geomorphology: Fluvial, [5104] Physical Properties Of Rocks / Fracture And Flow, [5415] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Erosion And Weathering, [5422] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Ices
Scientific paper
Images from Cassini and Huygens reveal widespread fluvial dissection of Titan’s surface, where incision by low-velocity impacts of bedload sediments may be a dominant mechanism, much like fluvial systems on Earth. Models of fluvial erosion dynamics on Titan are currently limited by a lack of data on ice resistance to abrasive wear at ultra-low temperatures. Using the theoretical framework of a terrestrial bedrock incision model, we seek to quantify the temperature dependence of the abrasion resistance of ice. We use the saltation-abrasion model to calculate a non-dimensional abrasion resistance coefficient, kv=2ɛvE/σt2, where ɛv is the impact kinetic energy to detach a unit volume of material, E is the elastic modulus, and σt is the tensile strength. Here we present results of a laboratory investigation of the tensile strength and erodibility of polycrystalline water-ice at temperatures ranging from 270 K down to 135 K. We make ice samples by grinding small amounts clear ice in a snow-cone machine, pack the seed grains into a modified 55-gallon drum, and add near-freezing distilled water to make a large cylindrical block. We placed ice samples in an insulated box in a walk-in freezer. We chilled the samples with a combination of dry ice and liquid nitrogen to achieve a wide range of experimental conditions and eroded the samples by dropping limestone and ice clasts from 10 cm above, 500 drops per trial. We measured the volume of ice eroded using a topographic laser-scanning system. By taking a series of obliquely oriented photographs of a laser line shining on the ice surface, we created a topographic map. Subtracting subsequent scans, we were able to quantify volumetric changes between scans. We eroded two ice samples (A and B) at varying temperatures and calculated the temperature dependence of the kinetic energy required to detach a unit volume of ice (ɛv). We measured tensile strength (σt) using the Brazil tensile splitting method at temperatures ranging from 100-270 K. We find that ice undergoes chill-strengthening—colder ice requires more impact kinetic energy to detach a unit volume of material. Sample A was significantly less erodible than sample B, which we attribute to differences in density (sample B ice was less dense than A). The temperature dependence of ɛv for samples A and B are ɛv=2.2x108T-1.6 kJ/m3 and ɛv=6.3x107T-1.6 kJ/m3 respectively, where T is temperature. The temperature dependence of tensile strength for ice is σt=3x104T-1.9 MPa and we estimate σtkv≈2x103 and scales as T2, significantly lower than terrestrial bedrock, which is kv≈106. Our results suggest that ice on Titan’s surface is significantly more erodible than terrestrial bedrock of comparable tensile strength.
Collins Geoffrey C.
Litwin K.
Polito P. J.
Sklar L. S.
Zygielbaum B. R.
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