# Ice rafting > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ice_rafting > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ice_rafting.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_rafting > Source revision: 1337506232 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For the overthrusting of one ice sheet over another, see [Finger rafting](/source/Finger_rafting). Transport of various materials by drifting ice This debris-covered iceberg was [calved](/source/Ice_calving) from the terminus of Alaska's Sheridan Glacier. **Ice rafting** is the transport of various materials by floating [ice](/source/Ice).[1] Various objects deposited on ice may eventually become embedded in the ice. When the ice melts after a certain amount of drifting, these objects are deposited onto the bottom of the [water body](/source/Water_body), e.g., onto a [river bed](/source/River_bed) or an [ocean floor](/source/Ocean_floor).[2][3] These deposits are called **ice rafted debris** (**IRD**) or **ice rafted deposits**. Ice rafting was a primary mechanism of sediment transport during glacial episodes of the [Pleistocene](/source/Pleistocene) when sea levels were very low and much of the land was covered by large masses (sheets) of ice. The rafting of various size sediments into deeper ocean waters by icebergs became a rather important process. Ice rafting is still a process occurring today, although its impact is significantly less and much harder to gauge. The melting of large [icebergs](/source/Iceberg) deposits sediment of various sizes, usually referred to as [glacial](/source/Glacial) [marine sediment](/source/Marine_sediment), onto the [shelf](/source/Continental_shelf) and deeper marine areas. Ice rafting may be used for analysis of [ice drift](/source/Ice_drift) pattern by matching the rafted [sediment](/source/Sediment) with its origin.[2][3] Ice rafting must also be taken into an account in [archaeology](/source/Archaeology) and as a possible cause of displacement of [archaeological artifacts](/source/Archaeological_artifact). ## See also - [Bond event](/source/Bond_event) - [Glacial debris](/source/Glacial_debris) - [Drift station](/source/Drift_station), a facility built on an ice floe - [Dropstone](/source/Dropstone) - [Rafting event](/source/Oceanic_dispersal), the transport of living organisms to new areas over water on floating material - [Swallow float](/source/Swallow_float) - [Glacial erratic](/source/Glacial_erratic) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-n248_1-0)** Bates, Robert L.; Jackson, Julia A. (1984-04-11). *Dictionary of Geological Terms* (3rd ed.). Garden City, N.Y: Anchor. p. 251. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-385-18101-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-385-18101-9). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bischof_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bischof_2-1) Bischof, Jens (January 2002). ["Ice In The Greenhouse: Earth May Be Cooling, Not Warming"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160705034543/http://ww2.odu.edu/ao/instadv/quest/IceInGreenhouse.pdf) (PDF). *Quest*. Vol. 5, no. 1. [Old Dominion University](/source/Old_Dominion_University). pp. 8–11. Archived from [the original](http://ww2.odu.edu/ao/instadv/quest/IceInGreenhouse.pdf) (PDF) on 5 July 2016. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bbook_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bbook_3-1) Bischof, Jens (2000). ["The concept of ice rafting"](https://books.google.com/books?id=WZgtNnR21kgC&q=%22ice%20drift%20is%22&pg=PA9). *Ice Drift, Ocean Circulation and Climate Change*. Springer-Praxis Books. Springer-Verlag. pp. 9–10. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1852336486](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1852336486). ## Further reading - Boggs, Sam Jr. (2006). *Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy* (Fourth ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0131547285](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0131547285). - [Alexei Rudoy. Rafting (Glaciology). Рафтинг (гляциология)](http://knol.google.com/k/alexei-rudoy/rafting-glaciology-%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3-%D0%B3%D0%BB%D1%8F%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%8F/2mjmwx6ls3hzt/40#)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*] v t e Ice The solid state of water Major phases Amorphous solid Crystalline phases Superionic Formations Anchor Cap Cave Dune Field Glacier Iceberg (calving) Icicle Jam Sea Sheet Spike Stalactites Volcano Phenomena Albedo feedback Black Brinicle Circle or disc Clear Crystals Firn Fog Frazil Frost Frost heave Frost flower (sea ice) Glaze Hail Hair ice Jacking Névé Needle Nucleus Rime Shove Shuga Slurry Slush Snow Storm Ice-related activities Bathing Blasting Blocking Climbing Fishing Rafting Sculpture Skating Sports Bandy Iceboating Cricket Curling Cycling Figure skating Ice hockey Ice racing Speed skating Short-track speed skating Tour skating Constructions Bar Bridge Hotel Igloo Palace Pier Pykrete Rink Road Work Cutting Icebox Icehouse Iceman (occupation) Pick Trade Yakhchāl Other uses Chips Core Cream Cube Pack Ice ages Glaciology Little Ice Age Pleistocene Snowball Earth Category Wikimedia Commons Wiktionary --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ice rafting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_rafting) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_rafting?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.