I give your science content:

One of you WANTED science content?

So in answer to the aforementioned question i have randomly opened one of my old diaries and decided to write about the first thing i read.

This turned out to be about Sea Ice Deformation Features and Processes.

Sorry. Unless like me your LOVE talking about sea ice. Man i like have HOURS of tape of different sea ice conditions – from ship, helicopter etc. I am a bit weird about it i know.

So to start by giving you a little sea ice lessonology:


Sea ice is a complex material in itself - it is fresh water crystals interlaced with inclusions of brine, air and salt which have formed between the crystals and crystal plates (Weeks and Ackley, 1986).


Since component parts of sea ice are never in equilibrium the physical properties of sea ice are not constant. This manifests depending on the scale of the region of interest. What applies on a small scale does not apply on a large scale (and so is true the reverse of this statement). Near land the sea ice behave as an extension of the land. Offshore sea ice is continually moving. Twisting, turning, breaking and compacting. This occurs primarily from wind and ocean stress (though there are other forces and reasons).

I have been at sea and watched in the sea ice around us which up close seemed solid and level change as my eyes refocused to see the greater landscape – it was undulating slowly. It was like one of those magic eye pictures. You know the kind that it you stare at it long enough turns out to be about something else entirely.

Basic deformation comes in the forms:

· buckling ( folding deformation)
· rafting (one floe overriding another or more complex finger rafting)
· ridging (pressure causing accumulation of ice above and below ice floe proper)
· fracturing (breaking up or simply forming openings - not polynyas though)

I have many, many pictures



This picture shows ridging, rafting and fracturing!

So THAT ends the lesson. I am not sure if i will ever do this again as it is a little bit like actual work! Not as much fun to write about and something right off the top of my head. I have about 12 diaries. And that was just one page. They were the idea of my first supervisor and i have never not written down every thought, idea or bit of information since.

unless this is what you want to read about i might do something a little easier on my sanity next time!