Shuga is a spongy, porridgy body of ice suspended in water. It may be formed from

grease ice Grease ice is a very thin, soupy layer of frazil crystals clumped together, which makes the ocean surface resemble an oil slick. Grease ice is the second stage in the formation of solid sea ice after ice floes and then frazil ice. New sea ice f ...

or from anchor ice rising to the surface and typically comprises lumps of ice, a few centimeters across. Shuga is the third stage in the development of

sea ice Sea ice arises as seawater freezes. Because ice is less dense than water, it floats on the ocean's surface (as does fresh water ice, which has an even lower density). Sea ice covers about 7% of the Earth's surface and about 12% of the world's oce ...

, formed as a result of snow falling on

frazil ice Frazil ice is a collection of loose, randomly oriented ice crystals millimeter and sub-millimeter in size, with various shapes, e.g. elliptical disks, dendrites, needles and of an irregular nature. Frazil ice forms during the winter in open-wate ...

to become

which is then further worked by subsequent wind and wave action. As cooling continues, the next stage is reached when sheets of rind or nilas ice emerge.Strangeways (2003), p. 461. Shuga may also occur in freshwater situations.

References

Bibliography

* Armstrong, Terence, Brian Roberts and Charles Swithinbank (1973). ''Illustrated Glossary of Snow of Ice''. Cambridge: Scott Polar Research Institute. * Hince, Bernadette (2000). ''The Antarctic Dictionary''. Collingwood: CSIRO. * Strangeways, Ian (2003). ''Measuring the Natural Environment''. 2nd edn. Cambridge: CUP.

External links

{{Ice , expanded Earth phenomena Sea ice Snow or ice weather phenomena Bodies of ice Water ice Rivers