| Term: | Ice plain |
| Definition: |
Part of an ice stream extending upglacier from the grounding line and having a surface slope so small as to suggest that it is not far from the transition to being afloat. See flotation. The upglacier limit of the ice plain may be marked by a measurable break of surface slope, or may be indistinct. Ice plains are documented from several of the ice streams of Antarctica. IHPGlacierMassBalance
An area of slightly grounded ice in the mouth of some ice streams. Typically an area of very low basal stress. AMSglossary GCW |