How do ice floes form from frazil ice in seawater?

It is a common misconception that glaciers and ice floes are the same; however, they are distinct. Glaciers originate on land through the compression of snow, whereas ice floes are a form of sea ice that forms directly in open water from frozen seawater.1

In turbulent conditions, such as when the water is disturbed by wind and waves, the formation of ice floes from frazil ice follows a specific cycle:

• Pancake Formation: Frazil crystals—a soupy suspension of ice—agglomerate into circular discs known as pancakes.21
• Growth and Thickening: As these pancakes grow from a few centimetres to several metres across, they thicken and solidify by mechanically rafting or stacking on top of each other.21
• Consolidation: These pancakes eventually freeze together to form larger cakes and, ultimately, ice floes.21

This "frazil-pancake cycle" is particularly significant in the Antarctic, where it facilitates the rapid expansion of sea ice cover during colder months.2