| Term: | Ice cover |
| Definition: |
Floating ice covering a water area regardless of its age, concentration, mobility and other characteristics. This is the most general notion, usually requiring further specification. The ice cover boundaries are the ice edge and the coastline. Bushuyev
Sea ice terminology. Describes the ratio of an area of ice to the total area of water surface within a large geographic area. This area may be global, hemispheric, or defined by a specific oceanographic entity such as Baffin Bay or the Barents Sea. ECCCanada The ratio of an area of ice of any concentration to the total area of sea surface within some large geographic locale; this locale may be global, hemispheric, or prescribed by a specific oceanographic entity such as Baffin Bay or the Barents Sea. WMOSeaIce Ice on an open water surface. WMOHydrology A layer of ice on top of some other feature. Usually used in reference to an ice layer at the surface of a lake or pond. AMSglossary GCW |