This freshwater resource then was to be sold to the countries of the Middle East. The terms pack ice, ice pack and sea ice will be used interchangeably. Sea ice includes grease ice, frazil ice, pancake ice and pack ice. The crystals are not oriented in an organized manner, and have the appearance of slush. An early stage in the growth of sea ice cover.
Pancake ice resembles pancakes or lily pads.
The plates have up-turned edges where they have bumped into each other. Small pancakes forming. Pancake ice in Ross Sea. Photograph by S. Shipp. Continued thickening and growth of pancake ice results in large, thin sheets of ice floating at the ocean surface.