iceblink

American  

[ahys-blingk] / ˈaɪsˌblɪŋk /

noun

1. a yellowish luminosity near the horizon or on the underside of a cloud, caused by the reflection of light from sea ice.

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iceblink British  

/ ˈaɪsˌblɪŋk /

noun

1. Also called: blink.  a yellowish-white reflected glare in the sky over an ice field

2. a coastal ice cliff

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Etymology

Origin of iceblink

1765–75; ice + blink; compare Dutch ijsblink

Explanation

Iceblink is the reflection of light off distant ice fields and onto the underside of low-hanging clouds. It's important to keep an eye out for iceblink if you happen to be navigating the Arctic Ocean. Iceblink creates a distinct yellowish or whitish glow on the horizon. Before the invention of radar and satellite imagery, polar explorers relied on iceblink to navigate safely. Because ice reflects more light than the open ocean, creating bright spots on the horizon, sailors could steer clear of those areas of iceblink, heading for darker patches known as "water sky" instead. But reading the iceblink can be tricky: When there are temperature inversions (cold air trapped beneath warm air), iceblink might create mirages, making distant ice floes appear like massive, towering walls of ice or mythical ice castles in the sky.

Example Sentences

If he lifted his head about eighteen inches he could see the light so that the stratum of mist, or iceblink, appeared to be about eighteen inches in thickness.

From Bevis The Story of a Boy by Jefferies, Richard

The whole of the 14th was occupied in an unsuccessful attempt to find an opening in the ice to the westward, which remained perfectly close and compact, with a bright iceblink over it.

From Three Voyages for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole, Volume 1 by Parry, William Edward, Sir