Topic: ICESCAPE scientists scan Arctic seas for melt ponds, "frazil," "grease" and "pan

[sam]

When ICESCAPE Co-chief Scientist Don Perovich of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory conducts an ice watch, he scans for formation types like frazil, shuga, grease and pancake. He identifies sizes like brash and ice cake, and speaks in lingo like finger rafting, lead and polyna. And then from a high vantage point he and his team select the perfect floe for their experiments. "It's always a total comedy skit," Don says, to distinguish one from another.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=icescape-scientists-scan-arctic-sea-2010-07-04