This
is pack-ice in the summer months around the Antarctic peninsula. The ice
looks fairly continuous, but has quite a lot of open water between the
pieces and so can be relatively easily pushed aside by an ice-strengthened
ship, in this case HMS Endurance. Larger pieces such as this one that are
hit by the bow of the ship crack up into smaller pieces.
Proper Ice breakers have rounded hulls and rounded bows
rather than being sharp and pointed. When breaking through very thick ice,
the front of the ship rides up over the ice and the weight of the ship
breaks through.
Passage is slow
though, and heavy on fuel. Most of all, it takes an experienced and
well informed ice-pilot to be confident in entering such ice so as not to
be locked into the pack should the wind direction change and consolidate
the ice.
Paul
Ward - Pentax equipment, 50mm lens, 35mm film, K64.
This picture may not be copied or used in any manner without
prior written permission.
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