Ice shelf

An ice shelf is a large platform of ice, where a glacier flows down to a coastline. An ice shelf is usually very thick, usually 100 metres (330 ft) or more. Some ice shelves float on the water. Ice shelves that float are usually much thinner.

The biggest areas of ice shelf are in Antarctica:

• Ross Ice Shelf 509,000 square kilometres (197,000 sq mi), as of 2013
• Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, 430,000 square kilometres (170,000 sq mi)