Drift ice

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/drift-ice

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Drift ice?Small (20-100m), Medium (100-500m), Big (500m-2km), Vast (2km-10km), Giant (>10km)
2. What is the primary drivers of movement?Wind stress and oceanic currents
3. What is the formation mechanism?Freezing of seawater, leading to ice floes and pack ice formation
4. Why is drift ice important for the Earth's climate?The bright ice reflects sunlight back into space, keeping the planet cooler. When the ice melts, less sunlight is reflected, which can warm the Earth.
5. How do ships and oil platforms stay safe in drift ice?Special ice‑strengthened ships, called icebreakers, have strong hulls and powerful engines to break the ice. Oil platforms are built with strong foundations and sometimes removable parts to resist the ice’s force.

Albedo: The measure of how much light that hits a surface is reflected without being absorbed.
Cryosphere: All the parts of the Earth where water is in solid form, including ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice.
Ice binding: The phenomenon where ships become trapped by converging ice floes.