Roughly circular, flat pieces of sea ice, typically a foot or more across with raised, rounded edges, formed when small ice crystals in choppy, wave-disturbed water collide and clump together into disks before eventually consolidating into a more continuous ice sheet. The rounded, upturned rims result from repeated collisions between adjacent disks as ocean swell keeps them constantly bumping against one another, and its presence often signals early sea ice formation in autumn polar waters.
Facts
Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceRound pieces with elevated rims of piled frazil ice or slush 1 ScaleDiameters from 30 cm to 3 m, thickness up to 10 cm 1 Sources
1. Pancake ice - Wikipedia
Size
round pieces of ice with diameters ranging from 30 centimetres (12 in) to 3 metres (9.8 ft) and thicknesses up to 10 centimetres (3.9 inches)
Rims
elevated rims formed by piling of frazil ice or slush onto the edges of pancakes when they collide
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