Final answer:
If a person is traveling across ice and it starts to crack, they should follow these steps:
- Stop moving: The first thing they should do is immediately stop moving to prevent further stress on the ice.
- Stay low: They should drop down on their hands and knees or crawl to distribute their weight and minimize the risk of falling through.
- Crawl back: They should slowly crawl back in the direction they came from, spreading their weight evenly as they retreat from the cracking ice.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a person is travelling across ice and it starts to crack, the recommended course of action is to immediately spread out their body weight.
One should lie flat on the ice, if possible, to distribute their weight evenly and avoid further cracking. Crawling or rolling away from the crack to stronger ice is safer than walking or running.
In the event they fall through, they should try to remain calm, call for help, and use ice picks or their hands to grip the solid ice while kicking their feet to pull themselves out. Once out of the water, they should roll away from the hole to avoid breaking the ice again.
Understanding how thermal stress can lead to cracks in materials like ice is important. For example, a significant portion of the rise in sea level due to global warming is attributed to the thermal expansion of sea water.
Likewise, issues such as buckling roadways and snapping power lines are caused by thermal stress due to temperature changes, affecting not just ice but various materials and structures.