The Granular Structure of Snow: An Internal-State Variable Approach

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Abstract
A statistical model characterizing the granular structure of snow is developed using quantitative stereology. The model is based on specific parameters (e.g. bond radius, grain-size, etc.) which take the form of internal-state variables in a constitutive theory for high-rate deformation of snow. In addition to parameters developed by other authors in previous investigations, a new parameter characterizing the mean bond length is developed. More significantly, general relations are derived for the mean number of bonds per grain and mean number of grains per unit volume without making any assumptions regarding the shape or size of the ice grains, or their respective distributions.