Ice a mineral

Hi all!

There was a discussion going on somewhere around here...can't find it so i put some pictures here. Was out "collecting this mineral just an huor ago, had about -13 deg.C for a couple of days now, so this is the best collectimg possibility in north Norway at the moment (and until sometime in may...).

PeterA

Forgott to tell that the xls of ice are up to 2 cm long, and since i'm at it, here is a picture of the wiew from outside the school i work at... Can post some more ice xls if anybody want...

PeterA

Hello Peter,

Beautiful. . .both the ice crystals and your location! But ice and snow from October to May? I don't think so. I'll stay here but come to visit. ;~}

Don

Hi Peter,
What a fantastic view ! The ice crystals are wonderful, but I'm with Don on this one - its frosty enough in England

Wrap up warm,
Colleen

I'm sitting here (in my sleeping bag) trying to forget how cold it is here right now and attempting to put the recent weather forecasts out of my mind (snow is forecast within the next few days). But the pictures you posted are genuinely and undeniably attractive!
I believe I take your point though, that water crystals are probably the least aesthetically celebrated of mineral photos!
As a mineral "ice" is probably the least likely to be collected simply due to it's transient nature!
I agree (if this was your inference) that "ice" should be regarded with much more respect as a mineral!
Although, perhaps the beauty and respect you would like to be afforded to it is due to in part to it's short life!
I have a few "ice" samples in my collection but unfortunately they are all in "cubic" form!
Ask me again in a couple of days and I'll probably say " I have a few more!"

WOW! Really beautiful, both the crystals and the view, even more so as it was 90 F here today. Thanks for sharing.

Denise

Hi all,
me too made some pictures to ice crystals few years ago, and two have been posted also here at Bottino Mine where I saw them in very cold morning. Also here in Tuscany, it happens that fog, because a fast fall of temperature, frozens quicly, covering all with a white veil of ice. Sometimes this cover is very thick and if you look at it closely, you can see wonderful crystals. We call this phenomenon "galaverna". f you're interested I'll put here some pics I made last February.

arco

Hello Peter

Very pretty rime ice crystals!

If you can brighten that photo a bit and reduce the file size to one acceptable for the Mindat photo gallery, you should upload the picture to the gallery. It would be a nice addition to the "Ice Gallery" - available when someone calls up the Ice page.

I have a book around here somewhere that is a compendium of ice crystal photos, mostly micros. The author worked for years during the winter months in an outside "photo studio" to capture many of the types of ice crystals that form on film. The book is remarkable both for its beauty and for the tremendous effort that went into getting the photographs.

Regards

Alan

Hello all!

Thanks for nice responce! I should mention that the photo of Alappen mountain (ca. 1400 m) is taken from Bardufoss, Troms, Norway where I live. The beauty of the sceenery makes it possible, and nature phnomenas like the aurora borealis ("Nortern light") - had a great one sunday night.
About brightening and reduce size of the photo - I'll try. I'm not yet familliar with digital cameras and picture programs, but I'll try. Took some more ice xls with the camera, borrowed from the school, but have problems with the contrast...The xls are here growing close to the river still not frozen - and I've seen both dendritic xls and hopper xls. Unfortunatly (?) it's geting a litle warmer, now only -2 deg. C. so the xls might soon disapear.

Regards
PeterA

Hi Peter and all,

These are some pictures of our "galaverna" we had on last february in Garfagnana (Tuscany)

Hallo again,
a closer ice formation
so.. don't light your fireplaces, this winter.. yuoll'be responsible of the destruction of a lot of ice crystals!

Ciao

Marco

Hi Marco

Beautiful! I'm speechless...

PeterA

Marco, A+ to ur pics!
Peter, what a great view!

Hello PeterA, Ciao Chris, and hello all,
here another icy pic to better prepare ourselves for Winter

It is also an excuse to have a good Grog cup!

Ciao

Marco

This is an older pic, taken 2 years ago, goin early in the morning to Bottino Mine (i put it also under that locality)

Ciao

Some years ago on a frosty winter morning, I was in the parking lot at Black Tusk, near Whistler , B.C. The parking lot sparkled and a mist from Rubble Creek slowly crept over the lot. It was quite cold, but the fast moving water in the creek had not frozen. To my amazement when I looked at the xls they were up to a cm and were skeletal hexagonal barrels, just like Morrocan Vanadinites!!! As I walked aroun the lot, I was horrified by the crunch of xls underfoot. I really felt like I was walking on a carpet of white vanadinites. Sadly I have no pictures, but have heard that at low temperature ice makes these barrels, which are quite different than the lovely "Aragonites" posted here.

When George Robinson was at the National in Ottawa, he flew back from the Arctic with Killer ice xls that he stored in the freezer. George has gone to Michigan, but I'll bet his ice specimen is still in Ottawa.

Hmmm,

You may have missed your calling if your not a photographer!

Very Nice Marco!

Carol Poole

A few mornings ago I was almost able to watch ice crystals grow.

The location was the head of a steep wooded valley. The trees had kept the frost off the ground in the valley floor but the slope above was frosty on both the ground and bushes.

With the sun on the slope the frost began to melt and to my surprise began to appear on the valley floor. I can only assume that as the sun heated the surfaces it vapourised the ice the vapour then condensed in the cooler air which thus became denser and descended into the valley where it was now sufficiently water saturated to cause frost to form again.

It wasn't exactly something you could watch but the grass went from green to white in the space of about 15-20 minutes.

Didn't really think to get my lens out though.

As a further note, the ice crystals that form in our freeze drier at work are triangular pyramids. I've often wondered if it's the temperature or texture of the surface or the availability of water vapour that determines crystal shape?

If anyone has any thoughts on that please share.

Chris

Hi, all

Many years ago, I leaned a little about the weather for self preservation - I was out in it almost all the time. Chris Popham is correct about temperature and humidity affecting the crystal structure of ice. Altitude does, also.

The hexagonal 'snowflake' shape forms near 0^C. Colder, it forms needles, prisms and spiky clusters. I do not remember the temperature ranges.

I've heard the sublimation formed and frozen dew crystals called rime or hoarfrost.

Anyone have any good photos of permafrost (earth frozen year-round)?

Paul