A survey of the literature-covering about the last hundred years is presented concerning the existence of a liquid-like transition layer on ice below its melting point. _ The conclusion is reached that the available evidence is very st:rongly-iniavor of the existence of such a.layer. However, more direct measurements of the_properties of such a layer are needed and possible methods for obtaining such 'information are indicated.

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An apparatus has been constructed for the study of deformation under tension of single and polycrystalline ice. Deformations down to 10−5 cm could be measured. Deformation of single and polycrystals was investigated as a function of time, stress, and temperature. Whereas the strain rate for polycrystalline ice decreases with time, that for single glacier ice increases linearly with time. The deformation for fine-grained polycrystalline ice consists of an instantaneous elastic deformation, a transient creep and a steady state creep. Deformation curves can be represented by empirical equations. The recovery curves on removal of the loads have also been investigated and the plastic flow has been deduced from the residual deformation after complete recovery. This plastic flow was found to be Newtonian within the range of stresses investigated and the viscosity coefficients can be represented by an exponential relationship as follows: η1 = 7.5·e+16100/RT poises, where 16 100 calories is the energy of activation for the plastic flow. The total deformation can be represented satisfactorily by a large number of Voigt units representing a distribution of retardation times, in series with a Maxwell unit. The experimental results are further discussed in the light of current theories of dislocations and tentative mechanisms for the deformation of single and polycrystalline ice are proposed.

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