Applications and Utilization
of the
Ice Crack Classification System
in
an Era of Global Climate Change
Lloyd Mitchell Ph.D., M.P.H., R.S.
Elizabeth City State University
Dept. of Health and Physical Education
Purposes
To assist in:
 Arctic and Antarctic studies,
 ocean, lake, & ice road transportation planning,
 planetary studies.
Purpose 1
To assist in:
Arctic and Antarctic studies; global science
Purpose 2
To assist in:
ocean, lake, &
ice road transportation planning
Collage and Image Above From
Crowley , Inc., Alaska
All Images From
Ice Road Truckers
Image Gallery
Unless Otherwise Noted
Images: Lloyd Mitchell ©2008
Purpose 3
To assist in:
 planetary studies
Above: R. Mars, L. Ice Ridges on Europa
Below: Earth Orbiting Satellites
Ice Cracks on Europa
All Images ©NASA
Ice Cracks:
Important Scientific Facts You Should Know!
1. Ice cracks!
2. Ice is a mineral!
3. All minerals have a specific atomic structure.
4. Minerals fracture according to universal fracturing
processes determined its specific atomic structure.
5.Therefore, ice’s fracturing process results in
unique and predictable crack configurations
based upon ice’s specific atomic structure.
Atomic Structure
Ice assumes related crystalline structures,
more than any other known material: Ice I – Ice XIV,
(Ice IX mentioned Kurt Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle.)
Two closely related variants of ice I:
1. Ih (normal), Hexagonal Ice, hexagonal symmetry, and
2. Ic (cold below 140°K), Cubic Ice, crystal structure similar to diamond
Amorphous ice:
made by depositing water vapor onto a substrate at lower temperatures
…below 140K!
Atomic Structure: A Closer Look
A. Each oxygen atom surrounded by four other oxygen atoms in a tetrahedral arrangement
B. Bernal-Fowler rules: Hydrogen atoms in ice are arranged following Bernal-Fowler rules:
1. two protons close (about 0.98A) to each oxygen atom, like free water molecule
2. each H20 molecule oriented so the two protons point toward two adjacent oxygen atoms
3. only one proton between two adjacent oxygen atoms
4. under ordinary conditions large number of possible configurations is equally probable
C. Cold: Colder Temps = configuration changes
D. Distance: Distance between oxygen atoms is approximately 2.75 Angstroms.
Data Collection by Agencies:
Three Basic Categories

Sea Ice
National Snow and Ice Data Center
 National Aeronautics and Space Administration
 Canadian Ice Service

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Lake Ice
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Planetary Ice

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Data Collection & Analysis: Sea Ice
Cells + Grids = Maps:
Sea Ice Often Studied in Cells
Cells Put Together in Large Grids
Grids Put Together to Create Maps
<-Remote Sensing:
Grids Critical In Data Observations
Model Used by National Snow and Ice Data Center,
University of Colorado
Data Collection & Analysis: Lake Ice
A Critical Canadian-U.S. Joint Venture


Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory: NOAA
and the
Canadian Ice Service


Ice Atlas
Digitalized Ice Charts:

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First Ice, Last Ice, & Ice Duration
Daily Ice Cover Time Series
Weekly Ice Cover Statistics
Real Time Ice Cover Data

Example at Right: 04 February 08 ->
Data Collection & Analysis: Planetary Ice

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NASA World’s Lead Data Collection Agency
Data Collection Value for Ice Varies
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Earth Observations
Life and Origins of Universe
Terraforming and Planetary Colonization
Resource Exploitation
Product Commercialization i.e. Jupiter Ice Water!
Ice Cracks

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Assist Climate Change Studies
Analyze Meteoric Impacts
Observation and Imaging of Ice Cracks, and …
Artistic Interpretation of Ice Crack Geomorphology -->
Back-and-forth shearing forces may create heat
that turns ice into water vapour on Saturn's moon Enceladus
© NASA JPL
Data Collection & Analysis: Non-Agency

Non-Profit

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Variable Funding

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Consortia
International Groups
Corporate


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United States of America Foundations
Canadian, British, Euro Foundations
World Trusts
Oil (U.S., Dutch)
Transportation (Greek, Norwegian)
Private
Data Collection & Analysis: Non-Agency

Non-Profit

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United States of America Foundations
 Charles Lindberg Foundation
 Koch Family Foundation
Canadian, British, Euro Foundations
 European Foundation Centre
World Trusts
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Variable Funding
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Consortia
International Groups
Academia
 Friends of Scott Polar Research Group
Corporate

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Oil (U.S., Dutch)
 Shell Oil Company Foundation
Transportation (Greek, Norwegian)
 Onassis Foundation
Private

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Pew Charitable Trusts
Self
Lloyd W. Mitchell Jr. Fund
IPY 2008: Results
All Ice Crack Studies Come Together!
Upper Left: Resonance Fracturing
Lower Left: Tidal & Wind Action Fracturing
Center Left: Wind Action Blow Off (Enceladus, Saturn)
Lower Right: Canadian, Greenland, American Ice
Center Right: Europa Ice Crack Formation
Upper Right: Alaskan Mega Crack
Ice Crack Classification System
Name
Feature
Ice Type
Linear
Straighter or slightly curved
Sea, Lake
Common
Lightning
Bolt like
Sea, Lake
Common
Arched
Archway like
Sea, Lake
Common
Multi-Arched Two or more arches combined Sea, Lake
Common
Honeycomb
Found only on surface ice
Primarily Lake
Common
Jagged
Sawtooth like
Sea, Lake
Common
Ridge
Above Ground
Sea
Very Rare
Married
Varies: Any Two or More Forms Sea, Lake
Rare
Mirror
Any One Type
Lake
Very Rare
Parallel
Any One Type
Sea, Lake
Rare
Network
Crack Network Combination
Sea, Lake
**
Radiant
Impact crater or hole
Sea , Lake
*
Ice Crack Classification System
Thank You, Mr. Robert Wu,
National Science Foundation’s
Official Ice Crack Photographer
Name
Feature
Ice Type
Linear
Straighter or slightly curved
Sea, Lake
Common
Lightning
Bolt like
Sea, Lake
Common
Arched
Archway like
Sea, Lake
Common
Multi-Arched
Two or more arches combined
Sea, Lake
Common
Honeycomb
Found only on surface ice
Primarily Lake
Common
Jagged
Sawtooth like
Sea, Lake
Common
Ridge
Above Ground
Sea
Very Rare
Married
Varies: Any Two or More Forms
Sea, Lake
Rare
Mirror
Any One Type
Lake
Very Rare
Parallel
Any One Type
Sea, Lake
Rare
Network
Crack Network Combination
Sea, Lake
**
Radiant
Impact crater or hole
Sea , Lake
*
All Images Made Possible
With A Grant From The
National Science Foundation
Critical Crack Ecology: Marine Life
Life in the Cracks
Seals Hunt, Sometimes Kill,
and Eat the Little Fish
Killer Whales Hunt,
Sometimes Kill,
and Eat the Seals, and…
Critical Crack Ecology: Humans
Critical Crack Ecology: Humans
All Photographs © Lloyd Mitchell 2008
Recommendations:
Honor Your Past
All Photographs © Lloyd Mitchell 2008
Recommendations:
Prepare For Your Future
Photograph © Lloyd Mitchell 2008
And Don’t Forget…
The Importance of Cracks…
Do You Want To Become
A Crackologist?
Contact Dr. Lloyd Mitchell
Elizabeth City State University
[email protected]
252.335.3693
or
[email protected]
252.338.8899