The interplay between fluid flows and fractures is ubiquitous in Nature and technology, from hydraulic fracturing in the shale formation to superglacial lake drainage in Greenland and hydrofracture on Antarctic ice shelves. 

In this talk I will discuss the above three examples, focusing on the scaling laws and their agreement with lab experiments and field observations. As climate warms, the meltwater on Antarctic ice shelves could threaten their structural integrity through propagation of water-driven fractures. We used a combination of machine learning and fracture mechanics to understand the stability of fractures on ice shelves. 

Out result also indicates that as meltwater inundates the surface of ice shelves in a warm climate, their collapse driven by hydrofracture could significantly influence the flow of the Antarctic Ice Sheets.