Pattern formation is extremely common in nature, from the dendritic growth of trees and snowflakes to the stripes of a tiger. A new paper describes how a thin layer of Keep reading
Tag: ice
As Ice Flows
The movement of glaciers is driven by gravity. The immense weight of the ice causes it to both slide downhill and deform – or creep. As glacier melting speeds up, Keep reading
Enormous Ice Disk
We’ve seen spinning ice disks before, but this month Westbrook, Maine has developed the largest one I’ve ever seen. A research paper from 2016 indicates that this seemingly alien formation spins Keep reading
“Ice Formations”
As perfect as ice can appear, it always starts with a defect. Without a speck of dust or soot to act as a seed, supercooled water simply will not freeze. Keep reading
Forming Europa’s Bands
Jupiter’s icy moons, Europa and Ganymede, are home to subsurface oceans. These moons also experience strong tidal forces from their parent planet and sibling moons that squeeze and deform them Keep reading
Tornadoes, Fire, and Ice
It’s time for another look at breaking fluid dynamics research with the latest FYFD/JFM video! This time around, we tackle some geophysical fluid dynamics, like listening to the sounds newborn Keep reading
PyeongChang 2018: Curling
Curling is a deceptively engrossing sport with some unique physics among Winter Olympic events. Athletes slide 19kg granite stones at a target 28 meters away. Along the way, teammates sweep Keep reading
PyeongChang 2018: Ice-Making
When it comes to winter sports, not all ice is created equal. Every discipline has its own standards for the ideal temperature and density of ice, which makes venue construction Keep reading
PyeongChang 2018: Ice’s Watery Sublayer
The Olympic Charter declares that winter sports must be practiced on snow or ice. Both are frozen forms of water, which despite its ubiquity, is one of the strangest substances Keep reading
Glacial Remains
The high walls of this alpine canyon were cut by flowing glacial ice. This type of amphitheater-shaped valley is known as a cirque. The photo shows one of the Chicago Lakes on Keep reading