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drift ice
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drift ice

ice formation
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Quick Summary

Drift ice refers to sea or lake ice that has broken apart due to winds and currents. This mobile ice forms from the freezing of seawater and is not attached to the shore. Pack ice, a type of drift ice, expands in winter and retreats in summer, covering significant portions of the northern and southern oceans.12

Ice formation encompasses any ice mass on Earth's continents or surface waters that remains in a solid state for a period. This includes glaciers, icebergs, sea ice, and frozen ground. In polar oceans, sea ice forms from frozen saltwater and expands in winter before melting in warmer months. Icebergs calve from glaciers and ice shelves and drift towards warmer latitudes.3

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
8 Britannica Sources
  1. pack ice
  2. Indian Ocean - Ice
  3. drift ice
  4. iceberg - Iceberg distribution and drift trajectories
  5. sea ice
  6. What’s the Difference Between a Glacier and an Ice Floe?
  7. iceberg - Erosion and melting
  8. ice formation

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