Icicle Shapes
March 26, 2014
Photographer: Ed Groth
Summary Author: Ed Groth
Show above is an array of icicles that I noticed when looking through a north-facing window of my home in Pennington, New Jersey. The chain is about 3 in (7.5 cm) in length. Initially, I thought the wind played a role in the icicles rather odd shapes. However, I happened to see a cloud billowing from an exhaust vent and had an Aha moment. It turns out that the furnace exhaust is under the floor, below the area of the eaves, where the icicles formed. There are actually two furnaces. In addition to the meltwater coming off the roof, there's moisture in the rising warm air that surely contributes to the growth of the icicles. On cold, clear mornings, condensation clouds are obvious coming from the exhausts -- the furnaces have been running almost non-stop this winter. Icicles elsewhere around the house appear normal, elongated spikes. Photo taken just after sunrise on February 7, 2014.
Photo details: Camera Model: Canon PowerShot A1000 IS; Lens: 6.2-24.8 mm; Focal Length: 20.18mm; Aperture: f/5.0; Exposure Time: 0.0031 s (1/320); ISO equiv: 80; Software: iPhoto 9.5.1.