VARIABLE SURFACE AREA TIRE TREAD

Particular embodiments of the present invention include a multi-stage tire tread (10) having a contact surface (16) and a plurality of wear layers, each said layer being located at a different depth of the tire tread, the tread comprising: one or more tread elements (12) including a contact surface (16) and having a first wear layer and a second wear layer, wherein the second wear layer is located below the first wear layer. A submerged longitudinal groove (20) extends in a longitudinal direction within the second wear layer of the tread element, wherein said longitudinal groove becomes exposed after a depth of the first wear layer has been worn. A longitudinal sipe (22) extends within the first wear layer between the contact surface and the longitudinal groove; one or more submerged lateral grooves (24) extend from the longitudinal groove in a lateral direction within the second wear layer of the tread element. One or more lateral sipes (26) extend within the first wear layer between the contact surface and one of the one or more lateral grooves. The tread is characterized in that: a sipe-intersecting groove (28) extends lengthwise through a thickness of the tread along an intersection between the lateral sipe and the longitudinal sipe.