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closeIce floes concentrate the wind stress
Posted by drews on 29 Aug 2014 at 15:31 GMT
The wind provides the primary force in moving the rocks. But each rock by itself does not have enough surface area to catch sufficient wind to move it. The sheets of ice have the effect of collecting wind stress over a larger surface area and concentrating that stress on the rock that is in their way. Each ice floe acts as a horizontal wind stress collector that delivers force to a single point (the rock), much like a vertical sail delivers wind stress to a ship's hull and propels it across the ocean. The same principle explains how Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance was crushed by wind-driven ice floes during the Imperial Trans-Antarctica Expedition of 1914-1917.
Great research!
RE: Ice floes concentrate the wind stress
sandybum replied to drews on 29 Aug 2014 at 15:58 GMT
Excellent observation. This puts to rest the wind velocity issue. Thanks for that.