flow law of ice

The flow law of ice describes how ice deforms under stress, a fundamental concept in glaciology and geophysics. Ice, as a crystalline solid, exhibits plastic deformation, or creep, when subjected to sustained stress. This deformation rate is not linear with stress; it's approximately proportional to the cube of the shear stress, a principle known as the Glen flow law.123

This property is crucial for understanding glacier movement. Ice sheets, like those in Antarctica and Greenland, flow from central high points towards the sea, often concentrating into fast-moving ice streams. The rate of flow increases as ice moves from colder interiors to warmer zones or channels into streams, with speeds ranging from centimeters per year to over a kilometer per year in ice streams. Temperature significantly impacts ice deformation, as a modest temperature increase can drastically accelerate the flow rate. Friction from sliding over bedrock or internal shearing also generates heat, potentially explaining the rapid movement of ice streams.4