Shelf Ice (Noun)
Meaning
Ice that is attached to land but projects out to sea.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made).
Examples
- Scientists studied the shelf ice that extended hundreds of feet into the frigid waters of Antarctica.
- The small research station perched precariously on a thick slab of shelf ice that hung out over the sea.
- As the warmer months approached, the shelf ice began to crack and weaken under the steady stream of meltwater.
- The dense fog obscured the shoreline and made it difficult for hikers to safely navigate the tundra and adjacent shelf ice.
- A catastrophic break in the shelf ice sent a massive iceberg crashing into the water below, triggering a violent tsunami wave.