ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Pancake ice

Pancake ice are little round discs of ice that float in the ocean. Just like how you make pancakes in a pan on the stove, these little discs of ice are made from tiny little bits of ice that get squished together in the water.

When the water gets colder and starts to freeze, little tiny frozen bits called frazil form on the surface of the water. Then, these little frazil bits start to bump into each other and stick together, making bigger and bigger pieces of ice. Eventually, they form into little round discs that look like pancakes!

These pancake ice can be found in the ocean when the conditions are right, usually when the weather is really cold and windy. Sometimes, they even bump into each other and start to stick together, making bigger and bigger pancakes.

So, just like how you can stack pancakes on a plate, these little pancake ice can stack on top of each other in the ocean, creating a little icy landscape that's really cool to see!