Ice formation, Cape Washington, Antarctica, pressure ridge, ice

The massive pressure created by moving ice can carve some dramatic sculptures in Antarctica. The ice formation above was at Cape Washington in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, in December, 2001. When the sea freezes several feet thick you might think it cannot be moved. Yet tidal influences and changes in water and wind can crack the ice and sometimes pile it up into large, jagged, peaks. These broken slabs of ice were about 8 to 10 feet tall and the ice was about 12 inches thick. There were scores of similar formations in this area and the way the midnight sun played on the ice was just enchanting to my photographer's eye.