According to Clifford E Swartz, who talked about the ice skating
misconception at our regional AAPT meeting (two year ago?) a layer
of loose molecules always exists at the interface. This
provides lubrication. I do not know why. But I did convice myself
about the myth by performing the "wire through a block of ice" experiment
outdoor when the temperature was below freezing. The loaded wire remained
on top of my block outdoor but was cutting through the wire indoor. This
shows that melting indoor is due to the delivery of caloric to ice via
wires and not to preesure. Or use the triple point data for water to
show that the pressure is not large enough to lower the temperaturenificant
significantely.
Ludwik Kowalski