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Difference between revisions of "Drift ice"
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[[File:Kontio_tow.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Two vessels stuck in pack ice]] | [[File:Kontio_tow.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Two vessels stuck in pack ice]] | ||
'''Antarctic sea ice''' is the sea ice of the [[Southern Ocean]]. It extends far north in winter and retreats almost to the coastline each summer. Sea ice is frozen seawater that is usually less than a few meters thick. This is in contrast to ice shelves, which are formed by glaciers, float in the sea, and are up to a kilometer thick. There are two subdivisions of sea ice: fast ice, which is attached to land; and ice floes, which are not. | '''Antarctic sea ice''' is the sea ice of the [[Southern Ocean]]. It extends far north in winter and retreats almost to the coastline each summer. Sea ice is frozen seawater that is usually less than a few meters thick. This is in contrast to [[Ice shelf|ice shelves]], which are formed by glaciers, float in the sea, and are up to a kilometer thick. There are two subdivisions of sea ice: fast ice, which is attached to land; and ice floes, which are not. | ||
Sea ice in the Southern Ocean melts from the bottom instead of from the surface like Arctic ice because it is covered in snow. As a result, melt ponds are rarely observed. On average, [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] sea ice is younger, thinner, warmer, saltier, and more mobile than Arctic sea ice. Due to its inaccessibility, it is not as well-studied as Arctic ice. | Sea ice in the Southern Ocean melts from the bottom instead of from the surface like Arctic ice because it is covered in snow. As a result, melt ponds are rarely observed. On average, [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] sea ice is younger, thinner, warmer, saltier, and more mobile than Arctic sea ice. Due to its inaccessibility, it is not as well-studied as Arctic ice. | ||