In this new preprint available on arXiv, Aurélien Rigotti et al. investigate the mechanical behavior of sheared, dry, frictional granular media, revealing a transition from a transient stage to a stationary state. Microscale grain rearrangements induce elastic damage, linking elastic and relaxation properties to a complex, damage-dependent rheology. In granular sea ice, this damage dependence arises from floe rearrangement rather than fracturing, as seen in perennial ice. This underscores the need for an elasto-visco-plastic rheology to accurately capture its mechanical behavior.
