Ice Flow

Unique identifier / Notation

MH0025

Synonyms

Not identified.

Ice flow is the motion of ice driven by gravitational forces, ice stress or, for sea ice, wind, water currents and tide (AMS, 2012).

Primary reference(s)

AMS, 2012. Ice flow. Glossary of Meteorology. American Meteorological Society (AMS). Accessed 31 October 2020.

Additional scientific description

Ice flow in a marine setting includes ice as glaciers which terminate in the ocean in the form of floating ice tongues or ice shelves, sea ice, and river and lake ice.

Floating ice is defined as any form of ice found floating on water. The principal types of floating ice are lake ice, river ice, and sea ice which form by the freezing of water at the surface. Sea ice can occur in the form of fast ice or drift/pack ice (AMS, 2012a). Floating ice can also be found where glacier ice, which flows under gravitational forces or ice stress, terminates in the ocean. This can create floating ice in the form of floating ice tongues, which are narrow extensions of a glacier (AMS, 2012b) or floating ice shelves, thick ice formation with a fairly level surface, formed along a polar coast and in shallow bays, and inlets where it is attached to the shore (AMS, 2012c).

Ice flow of marine origin is a hazard for navigation in the form of floating ice in motion and the use of ice surfaces as transport routes. This includes, icebergs which calve from marine terminating glaciers, ice jams, ice floes and ice edge.