Quantitative theory for icicle rippling and impurity inclusion formation

Develop a quantitative theory of icicle ripple formation that predicts the observed near-universal wavelength and incorporates impurity-dependent partial wetting, and determine the mechanism by which impurities are trapped as liquid inclusions during icicle growth.

Background

Icicles often exhibit circumferential ripples with a near-universal wavelength of about 1 cm, whose emergence depends strongly on extremely low concentrations of impurities and partial wetting of the ice surface. Existing linear stability theories assume complete wetting and do not capture impurity effects or the observed ripple wavelength.

Experiments also show that impurities are trapped as liquid inclusions that form chevron and crescent patterns. Both the ripple formation and inclusion-trapping processes are currently not quantitatively described or mechanistically understood.