Study on creep-induced blunting of thermal cracks in laboratory-produced freshwater ice and sea ice collected from the Beaufort Sea under cyclic loading and creep, 2022-2024

The ongoing impacts of climate change pose a growing threat to the integrity of ocean and lake ice covers, resulting in decreased ice extent and increased vulnerability to breakup. In addition to factors like thinner ice and larger waves, thermal cracking plays a significant role in ice cover deterioration. This study, conducted at Dartmouth College's Ice Research Laboratory between 2022 and 2024, investigates the mechanisms of strength recovery in laboratory-grown freshwater ice and natural first-year sea ice following thermal shock and non-reversed cyclic flexing. By subjecting cracked ice surfaces to continuous tensile stresses, experiments reveal complete strength recovery after approximately 10,000 cycles at -10°C, contrasting with partial recovery observed at -28°C. Furthermore, creep at 0.8 MPa for about 10 hours at -10°C leads to full strength restoration. Proposed mechanisms include creep-assisted blunting and temperature-dependent crack tip blunting. These findings enhance our understanding of ice behavior under cyclic loading and hold implications for engineering practices in cold environments.This dataset comprises flexural strength data obtained from laboratory-grown freshwater ice and natural first-year sea ice. The ice specimens were subjected to thermal shock and cycled non-reversibly, ensuring that the cracked surface consistently experienced tension. Additionally, two tests were conducted using creep for comparison purposes. All experiments were performed at temperatures of -10°C and -28°C.