Ice Drift

Ice Drift

Sea ice is frozen seawater. Because ice is less dense than its melt, sea ice floats (as does fresh water ice: icebergs, lake and river ice, icicles, snow, hail, frozen tap water, etc.). Sea ice covers about 7% of the Earth’s surface, or about 12% of the world’s oceans. In the North, it is found in the Arctic Ocean, in areas just below it and in other cold oceans, seas and gulfs; in the Antarctic, it occurs in various areas around Antarctica (the continent). Much of the world's sea ice is enclosed within the polar ice packs in the Earth's polar regions: the Arctic ice pack of the Arctic Ocean and the Antarctic ice pack of the Southern Ocean. Polar packs undergo a significant yearly cycling in surface extent (see Climate change in the Arctic), a natural process upon which depends the Arctic ecology, including the ocean's ecosystems. Due to the action of winds, currents and temperature fluctuations, sea ice is very dynamic, leading to a wide variety of ice types and features. Sea ice may be contrasted with icebergs, which are chunks of ice shelves or glaciers that calve into the ocean. Depending on location, sea ice expanses may also incorporate icebergs.