| Term: | Frazil ice |
| Definition: | Fine spicules or plates of ice, suspended in water. Frazil ice formation represents the first stage of sea ice growth. The frazil crystals are usually suspended in the top few centimetres of the surface layer of the ocean and give the water an oily appearance. In the open ocean the crystals may form, or be stirred to a depth of several metres by wave-induced turbulence. |