Pancake ice

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Pancake ice
Pancake ice
Pancake ice in the Ross Sea
Pancake ice in the Ross Sea

Pancake ice is a form of ice that consists of round pieces of ice with diameters ranging from a few inches to many feet in diameter, depending on the local conditions that affect ice formation. It may have a thickness of several inches. [1] Pancake ice features elevated rims with a nearly uniform height of a few inches. The rim is formed by piling the frazil ice/slush/etc. up the edges of pancakes when they collide, both due to random bumping into each other and because of periodic compressions at wave troughs. These rims are the first indication of the onset of the formation of the pancake ice from less consolidated froms of ice. [2]

Pancake ice may be formed in two ways. It may be formed on water covered to some degree in slush, shuga or grease ice. Alternatively, it may be created by breaking ice rind, nilas or even gray ice in the agitated conditions.

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[edit] References

  1. ^ "Sea Ice Glossary"
  2. ^ Mar 03 - Ice work - British Antarctic Survey

[edit] External link