Wednesday, March 18, 2009

ABC Wednesday - I is for Ice Formations



I is for Ice Formations.............



needle ice formations



This is a piece of Needle Ice that formed just beneath the surface of the soil last autumn.

When the temp is just right - usually just after the first night that gets down below 32 degree, these icicles form.

They are usually much smaller than this piece - there must have been a lot of water to make them so large.

They are really easy to find also - you feel them just under the soil as you walk along. They raise the surface, and when you step on them, they all crackle and break.

It all feels very uneven on the feet.

We carefully removed these ones from the soil, and since the air had begun to warm up, you can see the tips of them melting.

So fragile looking these thin little strips of ice that have banded together.

Have you ever felt these ices under your feet after a freeze?



This is the fourth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.










25 comments:

  1. What beautiful shapes Nature gives us! Thanks for the explanation too, great "I"! x

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  2. Hi!
    Great "I" post. I have Ice too. Great shot of the Ice. Thanks for the info on these. I didn't know that! Have a great day!!

    Sherrie

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  3. I have not heard of this phenonema before..they look very interesting! good job on the photo!

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  4. I have never heard of this type of ice before. But we don't really get any snow or ice here in central California. Great picture.

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  5. I've never felt those under the soil, no - maybe they don't form here? It seldom stays below freezing for long in this part of the UK, though it can feel like it because of the wind chill.

    That's a beautiful and unusual photo!

    On behalf of the team, thanks for taking part in ABC Wednesday! :)

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  6. Wonderful capture Kathy....this is very interesting and incredible!!:-)

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  7. Absolutely fascinating! I think I might have been wreaking havoc on these little things today as I walked in the forest and heard the ice breaking under my steps. Thank you for sharing and have a great day.
    Smiles

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  8. I had no idea - had never seen one! Thanks for sharing, now I'll know to watch...

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  9. Beautiful shot Kathy, hey I've seen all shapes and sizes of ice, nothing quite this cool though.

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  10. Hi Sherrie - are you as sick of your "ice" as I am? Thanks for stopping by!

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  11. Thanks, Neva - We just had to find out what they looked like. It felt strange walking on them.

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  12. Thanks, Photowannabe - sometimes I wish we didn't have the ice. Just got to make the best of it though.

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  13. Thanks, Jay - they tend to raise the soil up, so if you see that, then they should be under there.

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  14. Hi Carolyn - check them out next time - you will be surprised to find how detailed these little fragile things are.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  15. Fascinating, Kathy. I wasn't really aware of them, but now I am! Nature works amazing feats of fragile (and not so fragile) beauty!

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  16. That is very interesting, I have never heard of such a thing. Thank you for such a nice explanation!

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  17. Nice image. I found some last fall but I didn't manage to get a photo worth showing. I didn't know what I had found either - thanks for enlightening me :)

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  18. Hi Kathy,

    I am finally back. We had storms almost all day yesterday. By the time they were over it was really too late for me to get much done so Walter and I just spent the evening together without the PC at all.

    It was wonderful!! But, wow one day and I am ions behind!!

    Thanks for dropping by....all of your comments have meant a great dela to me!!:-)))

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  19. Thanks for the education on needle ice , never knew of this . Great photo as per usual.

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  20. Wow, Kathy - that's a remarkable image. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like that.

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  21. another great photo :)
    very unusual

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  22. Nice photo and a great comment about the needle ice.Almost reminds me of a hand,could it be the hand of the"Wicked Witch of the West",it(she)is melting.Here's looking forward to spring.

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  23. Hi Gregorio - After looking at it again - it really does look like a hand - and a witch's one at that!

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