Monday, January 17, 2011

Frazil ice -- One of Yosemite's Wonders

According to Wikipedia, "Frazil Ice is a collection of loose, randomly oriented needle-shaped ice crystals in water. It resembles slush and has the appearance of being slightly oily when seen on the surface of water. It sporadically forms in open, turbulent, supercooled water, which means that it usually forms in rivers, lakes and oceans, on clear nights when the weather is colder, and air temperature reaches –6°C or lower. Frazil ice is the first stage in the formation of sea ice."

It can be very dangerous, both to anyone who ventures into it, and also to buildings, walkways, bridges, etc. in Yosemite.  It occurs in March and April.  Another unusual winter feature is the "snow cone" that builds up to hundreds of feet in height at the base of the falls, formed by water flowing over the falls that feezes on the way down and accumulates in an immense ice tower or ice cone.


2 comments:

  1. Very interesting. I've never been there but would love to go. Great video.

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  2. Thank you for the video! I love Yosemite any time of the year and love to see it whenever I can.

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