= Newtonian till lubrication
{c}
{title2=$\tau_b=\lambda\mu u/l$}
A thin layer of <subglacial till> idealized as a <Newtonian fluid> of <dynamic viscosity> $\lambda\mu$ and thickness $l$ undergoes <Couette flow> between stationary bedrock and <ice> moving at speed $u$. Its resisting basal <shear stress> has magnitude $\tau_b=\lambda\mu u/l$ and acts opposite to the sliding motion. Combining this drag with the hydrostatic driving force gives the bulk approximation used in the <friction-dominated grounding-line evolution law>.
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