pingo

[ ping-goh ]

noun

, Geology.

, plural pin·gos.

1. a hill of soil-covered ice pushed up by hydrostatic pressure in an area of permafrost.
2. a hill of similar origin remaining after the melting of permafrost.

pingo

/ ˈpɪŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. a mound of earth or gravel formed through pressure from a layer of water trapped between newly frozen ice and underlying permafrost in Arctic regions

pingo

/ pĭng′gō /

, Plural pingos

1. A large mound or dome of ice covered with soil. Pingos are about 30 to 50 m (98 to 164 ft) high and up to 400 m (1,312 ft) in diameter and are found in Arctic regions. They are believed to form in basins (such as drained lake beds) as a result of the freezing and upward expansion of water held in subsurface soil, which initiates the doming, as well as by the rising and freezing of water trapped beneath or within the permafrost, as a result of hydrostatic pressure.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pingo¹

First recorded in 1925–30, pingo is from the Inuit word pinguq

Word History and Origins

Origin of pingo¹

C20: from Inuktitut

Example Sentences

Frederik got the nickname “Pingo” because of an episode when his wetsuit was filled with water and he waddled like a penguin, he said in a 2010 interview with Danish public broadcaster DR.

From Seattle Times

He later served in the Danish navy, where he was nicknamed "Pingo" - which according to the Mail was earned after his wetsuit filled up with water during a scuba diving course and he had to waddle like a penguin.

From BBC

Their vans were previously known as Via, Pingo or Community Ride, and are being rewrapped with a mostly white Metro Flex design.

From Seattle Times

Sunlight melts the ice, water flows out, and the pingo collapses.

From The Guardian

This leaves what looks like a miniature volcanic crater known as a pingo scar.

From The Guardian