Ice crystals form on the surface of water and join together to become grease ice.
animation, LR (in progress 2007), words, Ken Wilson (2007)
NOTES
Ice crystals form on the surface of water and join together to become grease ice. Grease ice is impossible to break because it's already lots of little particles on the surface of the water held by surface tension. With continued cold conditions, the grease ice thickens by producing more and more crystals and these bond together. The resuting ice sheet becomes harder and less flexible. While it is still somewhat flexible, water movement can break up the new ice sheet and round out the edges into pancake ice. Further thickening results in the formation of more rigid sea ice.
Ken Wilson, March 3, 2007, Sydney
From grease to pancakes, Ken Wilson, March 3 2007