Slightly more than two percent of Earth's water is frozen into ice almost all of this ice is in glaciers, which are huge masses of ice. Water covers more than 70 percent of Earth's surface. An iceberg that weighs several tons can still float easily in the ocean, just like a piece of ice floats easily in your cup of water or soda. The expanded molecules make ice a lot lighter than liquid water, which is why ice floats. Because of these powerful properties, ice is very important in the processes of weathering, where rocks are broken into smaller bits, and erosion, where rocks and earth are washed or moved to other locations. If water freezes in a crack in rock, the ice can eventually break the rock apart. This is also the reason your ice tray at home can look like its overflowing with ice, even though you only filled it halfway with water. This is why freezing water can burst even the heaviest of metal pipes in the winter. In a small space, these expanding molecules can create a lot of pressure. Once it gets close to its freezing point, water molecules begin to expand. Water will freeze at zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit). It occurs as frost, snow, sleet and hail. Ice often forms on lakes, rivers and the ocean in cold weather.
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