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Ice Cube Tray Stalagmite

I took this picture here:
http://www.ortecdesign.com/Picture027.jpeg
with my camera phone. I have always been curious as to why this happens. I have yet to find an answer so I thought maybe someone around here might know.
It doesn't happen every time, but it does happen somewhat often.
Thanks!


Comments

Ice Stalagmite

July 29, 2006 by Anonymous, 3 years 17 weeks ago
Comment: 2064

This guy did a project on them, apparently they're created when a hole in the expanding, freezing water shoots up like a volcano and freezes. pretty cool stuff.

ice cube stalagmite

November 13, 2006 by Anonymous, 3 years 2 weeks ago
Comment: 15099

Ok, i remember reading about this in new scientist about 2 years back on the back two pages, I'll try and be as true to the article as possible, but theres a chance i could be wrong on some points, since i dont know much about this. Ok, this works better when the water is more pure, e.g. i believe you have to get de-ionised water. It also may be linked to the pH of the water, but im not sure about that bit. Pour the water into ice cube trays as you would normally and let it freeze, what happens here is that the outsides freeze first, from the edges inwards. Since that water expands when it freezes, this produces a pressure within the icecube, in the water that is not yet frozen. Because of this is rises a small amount. As the frozen part of the block gets more and more centralised it 'funnells' the central unfrozen water upwards and the rest of the water expands into ice. I'm not the best at explaining, but hopefully ive said enough.. otherwise imagine a though experiment in 2D where you have an ice cube and the water at the edge of the left, right and bottom sides freezes first and expands, slowly freezing more of the top layer as more time passes. the resulting pressure pushes water up through the only remaining exit, the top of the cube. Hope that helped -Chris

stalagmite

November 13, 2006 by Anonymous, 3 years 2 weeks ago
Comment: 15100

Ok, i remember reading about this in new scientist about 2 years back on the back two pages, I'll try and be as true to the article as possible, but theres a chance i could be wrong on some points, since i dont know much about this.

Ok, this works better when the water is more pure, e.g. i believe you have to get de-ionised water. It also may be linked to the pH of the water, but im not sure about that bit.
Pour the water into ice cube trays as you would normally and let it freeze, what happens here is that the outsides freeze first, from the edges inwards.
Since that water expands when it freezes, this produces a pressure within the icecube, in the water that is not yet frozen. Because of this is rises a small amount. As the frozen part of the block gets more and more centralised it 'funnells' the central unfrozen water upwards and the rest of the water expands into ice.

I'm not the best at explaining, but hopefully ive said enough.. otherwise imagine a though experiment in 2D where you have an ice cube and the water at the edge of the left, right and bottom sides freezes first and expands, slowly freezing more of the top layer as more time passes. the resulting pressure pushes water up through the only remaining exit, the top of the cube.

Hope that helped

-Chris



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