In this course we will derive balance and constitutive equations using the methods of continuum mechanics and complement them with boundary conditions. Subsequently, approximations used in many ice sheet and ice shelf models will be derived and a scaling analysis will be carried out. The equations are solved in exercises using a finite element software.

After successful completion of the course, students will have acquired …
a) an understanding of
- the methods of continuum mechanics
- the balance and constitutive equations of ice sheets and shelves
- the approximations and scaling used in glaciology
b) experience in
- deriving governing equations of ice flow
- solving equations using finite elements

mündliche Prüfung

Greve & Blatter ‘Dynamics of Glaciers and Ice Sheets’ Monograph, Series Advances in Geophysical and Environmental Mechanics" (AGEM), Springer, 2007