| Term: | Ice island |
| Definition: |
A form of tabular berg found in the Arctic Ocean, with a thickness of 30 - 50 meters (33 to 55 yards) and an area from a few thousand square meters to 500 square kilometers (123,550 acres); ice islands often have an undulating surface, which gives them a ribbed appearance from the air. NSIDCCryosphere
A large piece of floating ice about 16 ft (5 m) above sea level, which has broken away from an Arctic ice shelf, having a thickness of 100 to 165 ft (30-50 m) and an area of from a few thousand square yards (meters) to 200 sq mi (500 sq kin) or more, and usually characterized by a regularly undulating surface that gives it a ribbed appearance from the air. WMOSeaIce A large piece of floating ice protruding about 5 m above sea-level, which has broken away from an Arctic ice shelf, having a thickness of 15-30 m and an area of from a few thousand square meters to 500 km2 or more, and usually characterized by a regularly undulating surface which gives it a ribbed appearance from the air. [Note: Antarctic use is slightly different and refers to a grounded part of a floating ice sheet which rises significantly higher than its surroundings, eg Butler Island. There are also more substantial features, eg the Lyddan Ice Rise.] Bushuyev Sea ice terminology. Describes a large piece of floating ice protruding about 5 metres above sea level, which has broken away from an Arctic ice shelf. Ice islands have a thickness of 30 m to 50 m, and an area of a few thousand square metres up to 500 sq. Km or more. They are usually characterized by a regularly rolling surface giving a ribbed appearance from the air. ECCCanada A form of tabular iceberg found in the Arctic Ocean, with a thickness of 30-50 m and from a few thousand square meters to 500 km^2 in area. Ice islands often have an undulated surface, which gives them a ribbed appearance from the air. AMSglossary A form of tabular berg found in the Arctic Ocean, with a thickness of 30 to 50 m and from a few thousand square m to 500 square km in area. Ice islands often have an undulating surface, which gives them a ribbed appearance from the air. SPRI GCW |