ice shelf

ice shelf
an ice sheet projecting into coastal waters so that the end floats.
[1910-15]

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      thick mass of floating ice that is attached to land, formed from and fed by tongues of glaciers extending outward from the land into sheltered waters. Where there are no strong currents, the ice becomes partly grounded on the sea bottom and attaches itself to rocks and islands. The shelf is pushed forward by glacial pressure until its forward growth is terminated by sea currents. Built up by accretions of snowfall, it remains relatively stable for millions of years. It is a phenomenon presently found only in Antarctica, where the largest ice barrier, the Ross Ice Shelf, extending into the Ross Sea, is about the size of France. Ice shelves are thought to have been responsible for the formation of many fjords (fjord) in Scandinavia and elsewhere during the Pleistocene Epoch.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • ice-shelf — ● ice shelf, ice shelfs ou shelf nom masculin (anglais ice, glace, et shelf, plate forme) Plate forme de glace continentale, de plusieurs dizaines à plusieurs centaines de milliers de kilomètres carrés, flottant sur la mer. ice shelf [ajsʃɛlf]… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • ice shelf — ice′ shelf n. gel an ice sheet projecting into coastal waters so that the end floats • Etymology: 1910–15 …   From formal English to slang

  • ice shelf — n. a thick mass of glacial ice extending along a polar shore, often resting on the bottom near the shore with the seaward edge afloat: it may protrude hundreds of miles out to sea …   English World dictionary

  • Ice shelf — An ice shelf is a thick, floating platform of ice that forms where a glacier or ice sheet flows down to a coastline and onto the ocean surface. Ice shelves are found in Antarctica, Greenland and Canada only. The boundary between the floating ice… …   Wikipedia

  • ice shelf — noun ice that is attached to land but projects out to sea • Syn: ↑shelf ice • Hypernyms: ↑ice * * * noun : shelf ice * * * an ice sheet projecting into coastal waters so that the end floats. [1910 15] * * * ice shelf …   Useful english dictionary

  • ice shelf — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms ice shelf : singular ice shelf plural ice shelves a large area of ice that floats on the sea and is attached to the land …   English dictionary

  • Ice shelf — Barrière de glace Principales barrières de glace de l Antarctique      Barrière de Ross (472 960 km²) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • ice shelf — thick ice, fairly flat, along polar coasts, fastened to the shore and often reaching the bottom although the seaward end floats free, sometimes over deep water. Icebergs break off this shelf …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • ice shelf — /ˈaɪs ʃɛlf/ (say uys shelf) noun a thick floating platform of ice which forms where a glacier flows to a coastline and onto the ocean surface. Also, iceshelf …  

  • ice shelf — noun /ˈaɪs ˌʃɛlf/ A thick, floating platform of ice that forms where a glacier or ice sheet flows down to a coastline and onto the ocean surface. Ice shelves are found in Antarctica, Greenland, and Canada only …   Wiktionary

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