Miqqiaq - Pack Ice

Indigenous Knowledge

Miqqiaq ᒥᖅᑭᐊᖅ
'Thick pack ice from north Hudson Bay called miqiaq - "moulting ice" - often crowds areas so there is no open water in sight. It will stay near the shoreline until it is clean, and during this time it acts as if it has a mind of its own because no winds, tides or currents will move it. Inuit have often seen migiaat suddenly move out heading into strong winds.' (Voices from the Bay (1997), page 18; Sanikiluaq Siku Terminology Workshop, 2018)

Siguturuaq 
'Area that has a lot of pack ice' (Seward Peninsula Inupiaq, Weyapuk Jr. and Krupnik 2012: 19)

Sikiwiit
'ice pack, ice floe, /sikiq-tiwiit ice-big.pl/' (Tersis and Taveniers 2010: 425)

Western Knowledge

Drift Ice / Pack Ice
'Term used in a wide sense to include any area of ice, other than fast ice, no matter what form it takes or how it is disposed. When concentrations are high, i.e., 7/10 or more, the term pack ice is normally used. When concentrations are 6/10 or less the term drift ice is normally used.'

Close Pack / Drift
'Floating ice in which the concentration is 7/10 to 8/10, composed of floes mostly in contact with one another.'

Very Close Pack / Drift
'Floating ice in which the concentration is 9/10 to less than 10/10.' 

English terminology source: MANICE

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