Ice Vase Near West Olive, Michigan

April 28, 2016

Ice Spike 2

Photographer: Jason Hunter
Summary Author: Jason Hunter
April 2016 Viewer's Choice

An ice vase, a rather rare variant of an ice spike, can form when a shallow pool of clean water quickly freezes. The surface freezes over, but the water below continues to expand as it flows up through the last remaining unfrozen spot. If this expanding water freezes at its margins at the same rate as it expands, tubes called ice spikes grow upward or, as in the case here, in a vase-like form filled with liquid water. Interestingly, this vase leaned heavily away from the prevailing Lake Michigan winds and formed significantly off-center from its base. Photo taken near West Olive, Michigan, on April 26, 2016.