shelf ice

noun

1. ice forming part of or broken from an ice shelf.

shelf ice

noun

1. a less common term for ice shelf

shelf ice

1. An extension of glacial ice into coastal waters that is in contact with the bottom near the shore but not toward the outer edge of the shelf.

Word History and Origins

Origin of shelf ice¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Look closely at the satellite pictures and the higher air temperatures recorded in the region are obvious from the large number of melt ponds that sit on top of the shelf ice.

From BBC

“The lake landscape in the winter is spectacular with shelf ice,” Labovitz says.

From Washington Post

Rowe says you can safely view the shelf ice at the Lake View Beach picnic area in Beverly Shores or from the park’s bathhouses.

From Seattle Times

"This unknown biodiversity has been covered by shelf ice for thousands of years. It's had no sunlight and therefore it has had no food coming in through phytoplankton."

From BBC

He struggled with the shelf ice and we even had to break a section of it off to help keep his fly line for freezing to it while casting.

From Seattle Times