Ice - Needles, Flowers, and Hair

I was introduced to unusual ice formations on a winter day hike on the Appalachian Trail near Buena Vista, Virginia, in February 2005.

This collection of ice needles was what originally caught my eye.

A closer look at the ice needles.

These needles seem to form bell-shaped flowers. They remind me of Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica).

Since then I've come across ice needles a few more times.

Here's a photo from December 2011.

Today we came across the phenomenon again on a short walk.

Ice needles pushing up soil.

More ice.

These needles were growing more vertically than others.

How these structures grow is still a subject of debate. I've seen these in moist soil after a quick cold snap. Yesterday temperatures here got as low a 6°F (-14°C), but the ground hadn't completely frozen before that.

 If you want more information (and some spectacular pictures), James R. Carter, a professor emeritus of geography and geology at Illinois State University, has written two general-interest articles:

• "Unusual Ice Formations", Weatherwise, Jan-Feb 2009, pp. 34-40.
• "Flowers and Ribbons of Ice", American Scientist, Sept-Oct 2013, pp. 360-369.

Happy ice hunting!