Pancake ICE, that is!
Defined in a sea ice glossary as “Predominantly circular pieces of ice from 30 centimeters to 3 meters in diameter, and up to about 10 centimeters in thickness with raised rims due to pieces striking against one another. It may be formed on a slight swell from grease ice, shuga, or slush or as a result of the breaking of ice rind, nilas, or under severe conditions of swell or waves, of gray ice.”
Pancake ice is not common in Pedder Bay, but due to many days of cold air temperatures, it is abundant around the Pearson College dock and around the Pedder Bay Marina.
I did a quick measurement of surface salinity (ppt) and seawater temperature (oC):
Yikes!! The poor mergansers, their feet must be very cold!
Tags: pancake ice, Pearson College dock, Pedder Bay, salinity, temperature
Pearson College Marine Science 
January 6, 2017 at 4:20 am |
What is a merganser?
January 6, 2017 at 6:15 am |
Mergansers are small seaducks and they are quite abundant in Pedder Bay right now. I imagine that they must be quite cold these days, but perhaps it is just me that is quite cold!
January 6, 2017 at 11:57 am |
And check out this link for mergansers in icy Pedder Bay in 2013.
What were you doing up at 4:20 am? Newborn keeping you awake?