Variable surface area tire tread and tire

A multi-stage tire tread having a contact surface and a plurality of wear layers, each of said plurality of wear layers being located at a different depth of the tire tread, the tread comprising:

• one or more tread elements including a contact surface 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 extending in a longitudinal direction within the second wear layer of the tread element, wherein said submerged longitudinal groove becomes exposed after a depth of the first wear layer has been worn;
• one or more longitudinal sipes extending within the first wear layer between the contact surface and the submerged longitudinal groove, the one or more longitudinal sipes alternate laterally along a radial direction through the first wear layer;
• one or more submerged lateral grooves each extending from the longitudinal groove in a lateral direction within the second wear layer of the tread element;
• one or more lateral sipes extending within the first wear layer between the contact surface and one of the one or more lateral grooves, the one or more lateral sipes alternate longitudinally along a radial direction through the first wear layer;
• and
• one or more sipe-intersecting grooves extending through a thickness of the tread and forming an intersection between the one or more lateral sipes and the one or more longitudinal sipes,
• wherein the one or more longitudinal sipes extend longitudinally in a laterally alternating path,
• wherein the laterally alternating path comprises a plurality of steps, and
• wherein each of the plurality of steps are bounded by at least one junction at the one or more sipe-intersecting grooves.