| Term: | Black ice |
| Definition: |
(1) Thin ice on a fresh or salt water body which appears dark in colour because of its transparency. (2) A mariner's term for a dreaded form of icing sometimes sufficiently heavy to capsize a small ship. WMOMeteoterm
Transparent ice formed in rivers and lakes, or on roads and bridges. NOAAHydrology 1. Slang reference to patchy ice on roadways or other transportation surfaces that cannot easily be seen. 2. In hydrologic terms, transparent ice formed in rivers and lakes. NOAA-NWS 1.Thin, new ice on freshwater or saltwater, appearing dark in color because of its transparency, which is a result of its columnar grain structure. On lakes, black ice is commonly overlain by white ice formed from refrozen snow or slush. 2.A mariner's term for a dreaded form of icing sometimes sufficiently heavy to capsize a small ship. 3.A popular alternative for glaze. A thin sheet of ice, relatively dark in appearance, may form when light rain or drizzle falls on a road surface that is at a temperature below 0C. It may also be formed when supercooled fog droplets are intercepted by buildings, fences, and vegetation. AMSglossary GCW |