The great ice mystery

摘要

Changes in the extent and thickness of sea ice could alter ocean circulation and so disrupt the climate. Jon Copley considers one of the big unknowns in the global warming debate. Contrary to popular myth, the Inuit do not have dozens of words for snow. Oceanographers, however, do have a multitude of terms for sea ice — including frazil, grease, shuga, pancakes and brash. Each describes a different stage in the freezing of surface sea water.