Kids
Corner - Ice Islands |
| When oil companies explore for oil offshore, they need a drilling platform to work
from. In most areas of the world, drilling platforms are constructed of steel. In the
Arctic the oil companies can use sea water to build an ice island to use as a drilling
platform. It takes very cold temperatures to freeze sea water and even colder
temperatures to build an ice island. In fact, if the temperature is above minus 20 degrees
F, it is too warm to build one. |
Mars Ice Island, Beaufort Sea Alaska |
| Although the sea ice naturally freezes to several feet each winter, the ice may not be
thick enough to support a drilling rig. One way to thicken the ice is to pump water on top
of the ice and let it freeze. This process can be repeated many times until the ice is
thick enough to support the drilling equipment. In areas were the ice moves, the ice
island must touch (ground) on the bottom of the sea floor. One of the fastest ways to
thicken the ice is to spray sea water up into the cold Arctic air where it super-cools and
falls back down onto the surface of the ice. As the weight of the ice island increases it
sinks deeper and deeper into the ocean until it grounds on the sea floor. |
Spraying Seawater to Create an Ice Island |
| In the Beaufort Sea, ice island construction can begin in late December. It can take
up to two months to build an ice island. After the island is constructed, the oil
companies need enough time to drill the well and remove all of the drilling equipment
before the ice begins to melt. Ice islands are just one of the many fascinating topics
to read about here at the Kids Corner of the MMS Alaska Region page. Click on the
"shorts" below for more topics. |
Cross Section of an Ice Island |
 Return to Short Subjects
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