Presentation Information
[9a-E203-4]Stabilized Finite Element Simulation of Nonlinear Stokes Flow in Glacier Dynamics
〇Hsueh-Chen Lee1, Hyesuk Lee2 (1.Wenzao Univ., 2.Clemson Univ.)
Keywords:
Nonlinear Stokes flow,Glacier dynamics,Stabilized finite element method
In this study, we develop a stabilized equal-order Galerkin least-squares (GLS) finite element formulation for nonlinear Stokes problems arising in glacier dynamics. Glacier ice is modeled as an incompressible shear-thinning fluid governed by the Stokes equations coupled with Glen’s power-law viscosity, which describes the nonlinear relationship between stress and strain rate. The main objective is to construct a numerically stable and computationally efficient method that allows the use of equal-order finite elements for both velocity and pressure while maintaining accuracy and robustness in nonlinear flow regimes. The stability and convergence properties of the proposed formulation are examined through benchmark numerical tests. The method is further applied to a realistic geometry of Xue Mountain Glacial Cirque No. 2 in Taiwan, one of the best-preserved Late Pleistocene cirques in a subtropical mountain environment. The simulations show that the GLS formulation can robustly capture nonlinear glacier-flow behavior under different basal conditions, including the transition from frozen to sliding basal regimes. In particular, the numerical results reproduce a strong linear relationship between the mean basal velocity and the basal shear-stress–sliding-coefficient product, with (R^2 = 0.9847), demonstrating the ability of the method to capture basal sliding behavior.