The national weather service (NWS) in Grand rapids (Michigan) made the two «ice volcanoes»spewing on Oval Beach in Nigatake, near lake Michigan.
«It’s a great day to visit the beach and see how waves interact with ice, — wrote the NWS. — Here are a couple of «ice volcanoes» spewing on the beach on Sunday, February 16, 2020.»
Volcanoes and ice sounds like an unusual combination, but this phenomenon occasionally happens in Northern Michigan lakes during the winter months. Volcanoes can be up to eight meters in height!
It was a great day to visit the beach and watch the waves interact with the ice. Here’s a couple «ice volcanoes» erupting at Oval Beach on Sunday, February 16, 2020. #miwx #wmiwx pic.twitter.com/B0Vkl18RrN
— NWS Grand Rapids (@NWSGrandRapids) February 16, 2020
In order to form an ice volcano, you need three things: high surf, the cool temperatures and the ice. For the formation of the ice volcano wave activity should be at least a meter in height. Anything less is too small to create the cone of the volcano.
These volcanoes are formed at the edge of the ice shelf, and they are caused by the movement of heavy surf that beats on the surface of the reservoir. Ice volcanoes are usually found along the coastline. They are often located at an equal distance from each other.
The phenomenon was also observed on the shores of lake Erie.
By the way, is not the only type of ice volcano that exists in the Solar system. Evidence of the existence of ice volcanoes (or the cryovolcanism) was discovered on Ceres, Titan and Pluto. Instead of throwing molten rock they emit water, ammonia and methane.
Let’s just say, if Vesuvius was cryovolcano, its lava would have frozen the residents of Pompeii.
