You haven't lived here until ... You see an ice volcano
This ice volcano towers about 30 feet on Middle Bay near Marquette and was made by waves from Lake Superior. / SUZY ZIEGLER/Northern Michigan University
WHAT'S THAT? They're mountain-shaped piles of ice along the shore, dozens of feet tall, that spout water as waves rush in. They're found in the frigid waters off northern Michigan on lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron.
HOW IS AN ICE VOLCANO FORMED? After the cold weather sets in and the lake is calm, the water starts to freeze right through to the bottom in the shallower bays, said John Anderton, head of the Northern Michigan University geography department. When a storm comes in, waves break against the shore, smashing up against the ice, which isn't perfectly solid. The waves get into those cracks and weak points, and the ice starts to break apart. The water gets thrust upward, making a spray that looks like a whale spout. As it rains down, it freezes on top of the ice mounds and, over time, becomes cone-shaped.
DOES AN ICE VOLCANO ALWAYS LOOK LIKE THAT? If the ice mounds start to build outward, not just upward, it can form a tunnel. If a stronger storm with stronger waves comes in, a new ice volcano could form farther inland. Some become multi-chambered as the ice on the shore changes.
WHAT'S INSIDE? An ice volcano is hollow. People like to climb into them, but Anderton advises against it. If you do try it, however, bring crampons, an ice axe and a helmet. Have people there with you to lower you down inside with a rope and don't explore ice volcanoes when the waves are coming in. If you look inside one and see water or freshly frozen ice, don't go inside, because you'll likely fall into the water. Also, because they're basically tunnels, the air is pressurized, so you can get thrown out of the top.
WHEN ARE THEY THERE? Ice volcano season is usually midwinter -- after enough time has passed and the lakes begin to freeze -- until mid-March. At that point, the weather is warming up a bit and the waves begin to break them apart.
WHERE'S THE BEST SPOT TO SEE ONE? Ice volcanoes are common on the northern coast of the Upper Peninsula on Lake Superior because storms come in from the north, west and northwest -- the ideal set-up to create big waves to crash against the ice on shore.Source
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