jeudi 17 janvier 2019
This Spinning Ice Disk in Maine Looks Like Something You'd See in Space
In what seems like some form of meteorological wizardry, an almost perfectly circular ice disk was seen rotating along the Presumpscot River in Westbrook, ME, on Jan. 16. Though the disk reportedly began to melt as temperatures warmed up, it stayed spinning long enough to catch the attention of local news stations, and eventually the entire internet after a drone video by Bulldog Aerials made its rounds.
Ice disks form when a river's accelerating water causes larger mounds of ice or slush to break apart. Because of the consistently moving flow of water, the smaller pieces of ice gravitate toward one another, and as they rotate, surrounding mounds and rocks "shave" the ice into a smooth, more uniform circle.
While a moderately rare occurrence in general, ice disks of this size are especially so. According to California Institute of Technology Physics Professor Kenneth G. Libbrecht, most ice disks have a 20- to 30-foot range - this one looks about 300 feet across. "It might be a world-record size, if anybody were keeping track," he told The New York Times. See more videos of the mesmerizing weather phenomenon ahead.
Articles
0 comments:
Enregistrer un commentaire