| Term: | Fast ice |
| Definition: |
Ice that is anchored to the shore or ocean bottom, typically over shallow ocean shelves at continental margins; fast ice is defined by the fact that it does not move with the winds or currents. NSIDCCryosphere
Sea ice which forms and remains fast along the coast, where it is attached to the shore, to an ice wall, to an ice front, between shoals or grounded icebergs. Vertical fluctuations may be observed during changes of sea-level. Fast ice may be formed in situ from sea water or by freezing of pack ice of any age to the shore, and it may extend a few metres or several hundred kilometres from the coast. Fast ice may be more than one year old and may then be prefixed with the appropriate age category (old, second-year, or multi-year). ASPECT2012 Consolidated solid ice attached to the shore, to an ice wall or to an ice front. It forms by freezing to the shore of the ice cover forming in the coastal zone or as a result of freezing of drifting ice of any age category to the shore or fast ice. Vertical movement may be observed during tidal oscillations. It can be preserved without fracturing for two or more years transforming from first-year ice to multiyear ice and even shelf ice. The fast ice width can vary from several hundreds of meters to several hundreds of kilometers. That part of fast ice presenting a narrow fringe of ice directly attached to the coast with a shallow bottom and unresponsive to tidal oscillations that remains after the fast ice has moved away is called the Ice foot. Fast ice at the initial stage of formation consisting of nilas and young ice with a width up to 100-200 m is called young coastal ice. When coding and depicting fast ice on ice charts, total concentration is not indicated as this is always equal to 10/10 in accordance with the definition. Bushuyev Sea ice that forms and remains fast along the coast, where it is attached to the shore, to an ice wall, to an ice front, between shoals or grounded icebergs. Vertical fluctuations may be observed during changes of sea level. Fast ice may be formed on site from sea water or by freezing of pack ice of any age to the shore, and it may extend a few yards (meters) or several hundred miles (kilometers) from the coast. Fast ice may be more than one year old and may then be prefixed with appropriate age category (old, second- year, or multiyear). If it is thicker than about 7 ft (2 m) above sea level, it is called an ice shelf. WMOSeaIce Sea ice terminology, describing ice which forms and remains fast along the coast. It may be attached to the shore, to an ice wall, to an ice front, or between shoals or grounded icebergs. It can extend between a few metres to several hundred kilometres from the coast. It may be more than one year old, in which case it may be attached to the appropriate age category (old, second year or multi-year). If higher than 2 m above sea level, it is called an ice shelf. ECCCanada Sea ice that is immobile due to its attachment to a coast, usually extending offshore to about the 20-m isobath. In protected bays and inlets, fast ice is smooth and level, typically reaching a thickness of between 2 and 2.5 m. Along exposed coastlines, fast ice may be greatly deformed. (Also called landfast ice.) AMSglossary Sea ice which remains fast along the coast, where it is attached to the shore, to an ice wall, to an ice front, or over shoals, or between grounded icebergs. Fast ice may extend a few m or several hundred km from the shore. Fast ice may be more than one year old. When its surface level becomes higher than about 2 m above sea level, it is called an ice shelf. SPRI GCW |