Wiktionary
n. a form of ice that forms on water covered to some degree in slush
Wikipedia
Pancake ice is a form of ice that consists of round pieces of ice with diameters ranging from to , depending on the local conditions that affect ice formation. It may have a thickness of up to . Pancake ice features elevated rims formed by piling the frazil ice/ slush/etc. up the edges of pancakes when they collide, both due to random bumping into each other and because of periodic compressions at wave troughs. These rims are the first indication of the onset of the formation of the pancake ice from less consolidated forms of ice.
Pancake ice may be formed in two ways. It may be formed on water covered to some degree in slush, shuga or grease ice. Alternatively, it may be created by breaking ice rind, nilas or even gray ice in the agitated conditions.
Usage examples of "pancake ice".
Brash ice now, it appeared, or the broken pancake ice of a sea surface that had been about to freeze over in the night.
Then the ice fragments form floating saucers called pancake ice, which enlarge and merge together before eventually forming ice floes covered by snow.