Ice Melange in Antarctica (IMAGE) University of California - Irvine Caption Ice melange, a combination of ice shelf fragments, windblown snow and frozen seawater, can act as a glue to fuse large rifts in floating ice in Antarctica. Researchers at UCI and NASA JPL found that a thinning of the substance over time can cause rifts to open, leading to the calving of large icebergs. Credit Beck / NASA Operation IceBridge Usage Restrictions No restrictions. License Public Domain Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.