| Term: | Rafting |
| Definition: | Pressure process whereby one piece of ice overrides another. Most common in new and young ice (cf. Finger rafting). Finger rafting is a type of rafting whereby interlocking thrusts are formed, each floe thrusting 'fingers' alternately over and under each other. Common in nilas and grey ice. Rafting plays an important role in increasing ice thickness within the Antarctic pack. It is the dominant dynamic mechanism whereby floes reach between about 0.4 and 0.6m thick in the early stages of ice development. Beyond this thickness, converging floes are more likely to form ridges than to raft. |