Ice Shelf | Ice Formation - Encyclopedia Britannica

Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos ice shelf Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics Images Quizzes Water and its Varying Forms Contents Geography & Travel Physical Geography of Land CITE verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation ice shelf ice formation Ask Anything Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Contents Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/ice-shelf Give Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

• National Snow and Ice Data Center - Ice Shelf

Britannica AI Ask Anything

ice shelf, thick mass of floating ice that is attached to land, formed from and fed by tongues of glaciers extending outward from the land into sheltered waters. Where there are no strong currents, the ice becomes partly grounded on the sea bottom and attaches itself to rocks and islands. The shelf is pushed forward by glacial pressure until its forward growth is terminated by sea currents. Built up by accretions of snowfall, it remains relatively stable for millions of years. It is a phenomenon presently found only in Antarctica, where the largest ice barrier, the Ross Ice Shelf, extending into the Ross Sea, is about the size of France. Ice shelves are thought to have been responsible for the formation of many fjords in Scandinavia and elsewhere during the Pleistocene Epoch.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.