Strange ice formation, gravity-defying ?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers around the formation of an inverted icicle, referred to as an "ice stalagmite," observed in Edinburgh after a drop in temperature below zero. The phenomenon is explained through the concept of "ice spikes," which occur when water freezes and expands, creating unique formations without a direct source of dripping water. Participants in the forum reference a previous discussion and a detailed paper that elucidates the science behind ice spikes, confirming that this occurrence is a natural physical phenomenon rather than a hoax.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of thermodynamics and phase changes in water
  • Familiarity with the concept of ice spikes and their formation
  • Basic knowledge of crystallization processes
  • Ability to analyze scientific literature and research papers
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the physical principles behind ice spike formation
  • Explore the scientific literature on crystallization and phase transitions
  • Watch videos on ice spikes to observe various formations
  • Read the linked paper on the Caltech website for in-depth understanding
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for meteorologists, physicists, and anyone interested in the natural phenomena of ice formation and crystallization processes.

murrmac
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Can anybody explain how this inverted icicle could have come to be formed ?

This mug of water had been sitting outside for a few days, last night the temperature in Edinburgh dropped to below zero, and this morning I saw that this ice stalagmite had formed.

There was no source of dripping water which could have caused this, is there a simple physical explanation for what I see as a strange phenomenon ?

This is not a hoax or wind-up btw, there was no fakery involved, and this is a genuine untouched picture, ( I have taken the mug inside and put it in my freezer to preserve it )

icicleh.jpg


EDIT: I see that this is not the first time this has been posted on the Forum , this thread from two years ago https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=273135 contains a useful link to a paper in which the phenomenon is discussed and explained at some length.

As I might have guessed, if you search for "ice spike" on Youtube, there are several videos there depicting ice spikes of various shapes and sizes.
 
Last edited:
Science news on Phys.org
jarednjames said:
If you read the link poster by mender (http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/icespikes/icespikes.htm) in the thread you linked to, it explains them perfectly. You answered your own question.

Yes, I did read, and understand, the material in the link to which you refer.

Hence my posting the EDIT to the first post, in which I included the sentence :

..."https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=273135 contains a useful link to a paper in which the phenomenon is discussed and explained at some length" ...

Maybe I should just have deleted the entire post ?
 
murrmac said:
Maybe I should just have deleted the entire post ?

No! Thanks for not doing that.
 

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