Sea ice which has survived at least one summer’s melt. Most topographic features are smoother than on first-year ice. Old ice may be subdivided into SECOND-YEAR ICE and MULTI YEAR ICE.
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HUMMOCKING
The pressure process by which sea ice is forced into hummocks. When the floes rotate in the process, it is called SCREWING.
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HUMMOCKED ICE
Sea ice piled haphazardly one piece over another to form an uneven surface. When weathered, hummocked ice has the appearance of smooth hillocks.
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ICE JAM
An accumulation of broken river ice or sea ice caught in a narrow channel
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ICE EDGE
The demarcation at any given time between the open sea and sea ice of any kind, whether fast or drifting.
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ICE MASSIF
A concentration of sea ice covering an area of hundreds of kilometers, which is found in the same region every summer
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ICE CAKE
Any relatively flat piece of sea ice less than 20 meters across
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LEVEL ICE
Sea ice which is unaffected by deformation
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MULTI-YEAR ICE
Old ice up to 3 meters or more thick which has survived at least two summer’s melt. Hummocks are even smoother than in second-year ice. The ice is almost salt-free. The color, where bare, is usually blue. The melt pattern consists of large interconnecting irregular puddles and a well-developed drainage system.
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COMPACTING
Pieces of sea ice are said to be compacting when they are subjected to a converging motion
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DRIED ICE
Sea ice from the surface of which meltwater has disappeared after the formation of cracks and thaw holes. During the period of drying, the surface whitens.
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