The Emergence Machine

Ice Shelf

physical · Geography · Level 6 · E3

E3Chemistry

Each concept here is mapped to its prerequisites — the ideas you'd need first to understand it — all the way down to four foundations: Space, Time, Energy, Pattern. Click any prerequisite to drill down, or scroll for the chain graph.

Trace. Question. Emerge.

Emergence definition

An ice shelf is a floating extension of glacial ice that forms in the ocean when ice, shaped by the forces of gravity and temperature, breaks off from a coastline or ice sheet and extends into the ocean, where it remains suspended due to its lower density than the surrounding seawater.

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Wiktionary senses

External reference — all senses of the word “ice shelf” on Wiktionary. This atlas concept maps to only the slice of meaning relevant to the prerequisite graph.

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Source: Wiktionary — “ice shelf”. Content available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Historical origin

Origin word
ice shelf
Origin language
English

Prerequisite chain

Possible path of this concept down to the fundamental substrate.

thisfoundationsL6L5L4L3L2L1L0Ice ShelfGeologyIceOceanRockTemperatureMineralPhysicsWaterForceFormLandLiquidActionChangeMatterMotionEnergyPatternSpaceTimeE1 concrete → E14 abstract

Neighborhood

Direct prerequisites above, concepts that depend on this one below.

thisprerequisitesIce ShelfL6OceanL4IceL5E1 concrete → E14 abstract

In other languages

Prerequisites

What you need to understand first.

  • Ocean L4 (requires)
    An ice shelf extends from land out over the ocean
  • Ice L5 (requires)
    An ice shelf is a thick floating platform of ice