Icebergs and
their descendants

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Iceberg

A large floating body of ice broken off a glacier (a process called calving).

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Bergy bit

An iceberg is downgraded to a bergy bit when - by melting, splitting or tumbling - it no longer rises at least 5 meters (16 feet) about water.

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Growler

A bergy bit is downgraded to a "growler" when it no longer rises at least a meter (3 feet) above the waterline. Ship captains fear them because they are numerous and are hard to spot. Growlers have sunk many a vessel over the centuries. They derive their name from the ominous sound they make when rubbing against a hull.

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Anchor ice (also
called ground ice)

An ice mass that is attached to the seabed or other fixed underwater object. It's immobile and can be a navigational hazard, especially when it is sizable and lies completely below water level.

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Fast ice

A floating ice pane fastened to the shore or an iceberg.

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For more glossary terms, click

FIRST PAGE - The 4 South Poles

PAGE THREE - More ice formations

PAGE FOUR - Other widely used terms

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