destructive fragmentation of a space object Breakups may be either accidental or intentional Since the early 1960s, debris created by in-orbit breakups has represented the largest single constituent of the total space object population
The time when a river whose surface has been frozen from bank to bank for a significant portion of its length begins to change to an open water flow condition Breakup is signaled by the breaking of the ice and often associated with ice jams and flooding