Here in Virginia we recently had a little snow, and the following day I
noticed some intriguing patterns on the frozen surface of a cypress lagoon.
These are kitchen-rug-sized polygons of tinted ice, separated by narrow lines
of almost pure white ice.
These look like photos I’ve seen of frozen tundra, except these are on the
surface of a coastal cypress lagoon. A colleague has mentioned fractional
freezing and free ions as a possible explanation, with the faint brownish tint
deriving from organics in the water.
I’d be interested in hearing from anyone who has seen similar patterns,
especially in forested wetlands, and I’d be very interested to know more about
the physical, chemical and microclimatic processes that might lead to their
formation. Please contact me off-list with my thanks in advance.
- J. A.
