Freezing Water and Supercooling: Anchor Ice and Frazil Ice

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Author: Devik, Olaf
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1949
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000010042; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000010042

Abstract The supercooling of water in nature occurs more frequently than is generallyknown. It always takes place when still water is in process of being covered with thefirst ice needles. It is of even greater importance when ice formation takes place in running and turbulent water, in which case it represents the necessary conditions for the formation of frazil and anchor ice. The supercooling may be observed by a sensitive thermometer when the bulb is heated before being immersed in the water. The degree of supercooling of still water may be more than 1° C. in a thin surface layer as the author has demonstrated by measuring the temperature by a recording thermopile exposed to radiation from the surface. It is emphasized that the state of supercooling in water is a stable one, the formation of ice being dependent upon the existence of nuclei or solid boundary surfaces from which crystallization will start and from which liberated heat of solidification will flow. This process of thermal conduction needs time.