Snow rubbing squeal vibrations, and roaring cold snow

Abstract

The objective of this study is the investigation of the mechanism responsible for the squeal vibrations excited when bodies with fairly rough surfaces are rubbed on a cold dry slightly compacted snow bed. To this end, signals were recorded and analyzed when the snow surface was rubbed by the ends of baseball bats, the ends of circular wood rods, and by the thick sole of a rubber boot. It is argued that the vibration modes are confined in the rubbing bodies and that the role of the snow bed is limited to providing the right conditions for the stick-slip effect to be applicable at the rubbing interface. An attempt is made to account for the reported very intense sound emission from a sheared very cold snow bed in terms of coherent snow granule column vibrations around the shearing body, as in the case of a sheared singing sand bed.