Why are there circles of melted snow on this icy pond? - eviltoast
  • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    most likely due to varying depth. More shallow will stay warmer I believe because the earth holds temperature longer.

    Source: I have a ground source heat pump, which is equivalent to saying I stayed at a holiday inn last night. But it might still be true.

    • Rakonat@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Shallow water freezes first. Ice acts as an insulator so deep water will get cold but not freeze.

      This is likely caused by vegetation at the bottom rotting and the gas rising up till it collects in on area, making the ice thinner and thus higher.

        • Rakonat@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          It has less insulation between the lowest point of the water and the cold air above it. All else being equal ice freezes to uniform thickness. The shallowest parts of a pond or river are the most likely to down to the ground. There’s several other factors, but the biggest one mostly comes down to how deep the water is and how fast its flowing if at all.

          • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            but doesn’t that also mean less insulation to the warmer ground? Flow of course messes with everything. But looking at the pick, the shoreline didn’t fully freeze, implying shallow freezes last. Though google says shallower lakes freeze first. So the is a missing dynamic here somewhere.

            • Rakonat@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Not really, the ground can freeze and get colder. This is why early winter, first snow and flurries will seem to melt instantly when they touched down, but as the season continues the ground cools off till snow can stay frozen on the surface.

              While it’s true the deeper you go the more stable it becomes, the earth has thermal layers just like the atmosphere, and whats more the water above the ground insulates the ground from freezing faster, so the deeper the water the less it’s going to freeze from below.