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Geology, Palaeontology & Archaeology / Why do stalagmites (ice spikes) form on my ice cubes?
« on: 18/04/2004 06:19:35 »
Something quite odd happens every time I freeze up a tray of ice cubes in my freezer. One random cube in the tray grows what looks like a stalagmite: a thin spindle of ice that protrudes sometimes over an inch upward from the top surface of its cube.
Now, I'm positive these are not actually stalagmites, which by definition would be caused by drippings from the ceiling of my freezer. These funny protrusions instead appear to be caused by a small quantity of near-frozen water jetissoning itself upward from the cube, or cube-to-be, and then instantaneously freezing. Sometimes they are oriented more or less vertically, and sometimes on a considerable angle. I can't recall seeing such formations in other peoples' ice cubes. What the heck are they? What causes them?
Thanks in advance, if you know the answer!
Now, I'm positive these are not actually stalagmites, which by definition would be caused by drippings from the ceiling of my freezer. These funny protrusions instead appear to be caused by a small quantity of near-frozen water jetissoning itself upward from the cube, or cube-to-be, and then instantaneously freezing. Sometimes they are oriented more or less vertically, and sometimes on a considerable angle. I can't recall seeing such formations in other peoples' ice cubes. What the heck are they? What causes them?
Thanks in advance, if you know the answer!