Onset of Glacier Tables

A glacier table consists of a rock supported by slender column ice and form naturally on glaciers. We investigate the onset their formation at smaller scale in controlled environment. Depending size thermal conductivity cap, it can either standing an foot, or sink into block. one-dimension conduction model shows that differential melting is competition between two effects: geometrical amplification, heat flux reduction due to higher temperature cap as compared ice. Our captures transition regimes identifies dimensionless number which controls tables formation.Received 12 March 2021Accepted 29 July 2021DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.108501© 2021 American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasFlow boundary instabilitiesGeophysicsPhysical SystemsInterfacesFluid DynamicsInterdisciplinary PhysicsPolymers & Soft MatterGeneral PhysicsNonlinear Dynamics