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Where In Algonquin? » WIA #340 » 3/21/2020 3:51 pm

northernfox
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If you camped on this site you cant miss this ice age marvel  

Where In Algonquin? » WIA #340 » 3/21/2020 12:26 pm

northernfox
Replies: 38

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Misty to Timberwolf

Catch-all Discussions » ice out 2019 - too early to discuss? » 4/06/2019 6:21 am

northernfox
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So how does the lake ice melt?   Once the snow melts off the top of the ice, the ice is exposed to the sun. The ice then acts like a greenhouse to the lake water, and as the sun shines on the ice, it heats the water underneath the ice.  The ice then starts to melt from the bottom, where it is touching the water.  When the ice thickness erodes to between 4 and 12 inches, it transforms into long vertical crystals called "candles." These conduct light well, so the ice starts to look black, because it is not reflecting much sunlight.
 
As the sun continues to heat the ice, the water below the ice continues to warm.  Meltwater fills in between the crystals, which begin breaking apart. The surface appears grayish as the ice reflects a bit more light than before.
 
Then, all we need is a windy day to break the surface ice apart.  The ice candles will often be blown to one side of the lake, making a tinkling sound as they knock against one another, and pile up on the shore.  It's amazing how this final process seems to take just a few hours where one day the lake is ice-covered and the next it is not. 
 
Over the next few weeks, the speed of the ice-out process will be dependent on how much sun and wind we get.

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