Deformation of grain boundaries in polar ice

TL;DR

This paper investigates the deformation of grain boundaries in polar ice, revealing heterogeneities that challenge existing models used for ice dating and climate reconstruction.

Contribution

It introduces a novel measurement of a texture tensor to analyze microstructural heterogeneities in deep ice cores from Antarctica.

Findings

Heterogeneous deformation patterns along the ice core

Questioning of key assumptions in current ice dating models

New insights into ice microstructure evolution

Abstract

The ice microstructure (grain boundaries) is a key feature used to study ice evolution and to investigate past climatic changes. We studied a deep ice core, in Dome Concordia, Antarctica, which records past mechanical deformations. We measured a "texture tensor" which characterizes the pattern geometry and reveals local heterogeneities of deformation along the core. These results question key assumptions of the current models used for dating.