The frozen waves of the Atlantic, a very rare natural phenomenon that even science cannot understand, the height of the waves is from half a meter to a meter.
An unusually cold winter in Massachusetts (USA) caused an amazing natural phenomenon on the island of Nantucket (160 km from Boston), the former whaling and fishing capital of America. Photographer Jonathan Nimerfroh managed to capture the frozen waves of the Atlantic Ocean .
On February 25, after completing a work photo shoot, Jonathan decided to look at the beach, since sometimes surfers surfed there even in winter. When approaching the shore, he noticed that the horizon looked rather strange, and once on the beach, something completely extraordinary appeared to his gaze - frozen ice waves were visible at a distance of about 250-300 meters from the shore. The maximum air temperature that day was around -7°C and there was a strong wind. The frozen, short-lived waves looked ideal for surfing, but, shivering from the cold, the photographer thought how great it would be if there was a surfboard designed for just such waves...
The next day, Jonathan returned to the shore to see if the ice waves had melted, and saw that the same picture was now observed near the coastline: the frozen waves seemed to have moved closer. The ice thickness was about 25 cm. According to local fishermen, such an amazing phenomenon was observed in those parts for the first time.
Probably many, sooner or later, seriously or fleetingly, wondered: “Can sea waves freeze” and, in general, can the concept “ frozen waves»?
In high school, it would seem, we were given the answer and told that salt water is weakly susceptible to freezing in natural conditions due to constant movement.
Everything seems to be true, but there are always exceptions. Regarding the freezing of the “waves”, a US citizen, a certain Jonathan Nimerfroh, put an end to it. Off the coast of Nantucket Island, he witnessed an extremely rare phenomenon and photographed the “frozen waves” of the Atlantic Ocean.
When the pictures fell into the hands of experts, they explained the phenomenon simply and logically: everything was due to temperature differences (in 2015 there was a record cold winter in the United States). However, of course, we cannot talk about complete “freezing” - all we see is frozen “slurry” (“mush”) of water and snow...
Note that seawater does not have a constant freezing temperature (“freezing point”). When ice crystals begin to form in salt water depends on the degree of salinity. If the salinity of the water is 35 ‰ (ppm), then it will begin to freeze at -1.9°C (assuming immobility!)
Frozen waves of the Atlantic
The frozen waves of the Atlantic are not a unique event, only because the planet has preserved for us the facts of a rare natural phenomenon that has already occurred on Earth before. Below is a photo of a huge wave instantly frozen...
In all parts of the world, various natural phenomena occur naturally every day. Many of them, such as rain and snow, are associated with seasonal changes, and therefore are perceived as something completely ordinary.
Others arise as a manifestation of the spontaneous forces of nature and are of an extreme nature. They have a destructive effect and can pose a danger to all living things located near the epicenter of the disaster.
But from time to time, nature is capable of surprising, demonstrating rare phenomena that even science is sometimes unable to explain. This natural phenomenon was witnessed by chance by photographer Jonathan Nimerfro, who managed to photograph the frozen waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
“A photographer and part-time ocean-obsessed surfer, taking his camera just in case, went for a walk along the beach of Nantucket Island. When Jonathan reached the final point of his route, a completely unimaginable picture appeared before his eyes: frozen waves were rolling onto the shore.
“I noticed a really strange horizon,” says the photographer, “I saw these incredible waves that were half frozen. Usually on the beach you can hear the sound of crashing waves, but it was quiet, so quiet it was as if my ears were plugged with earplugs.”
Sea water does not have a specific freezing point. The temperature at which ice crystals begin to form depends on the salinity. With an average ocean salinity of 35%, the freezing point is -1.9°C.
It was an unusually cold day on Nanatucket Island on Friday. The thermometer dropped below -7 °C. Undoubtedly, temperature played a role in the formation of this phenomenon, but the researchers believe there must have been other factors.
The movement of the waves, logically, should have destroyed the ice crystals before they formed a frozen surface covering the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. However, contrary to the laws of science, this did not happen.
According to Jonathan, the height of the partially frozen waves reached from half a meter to a meter.
After looking at the images, Helen Fricker, a glaciologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla who specializes in the dynamics of ice flows in Anaktis, said she does not yet have a scientific explanation for this phenomenon.
University of Alaska Fairbanks glaciologist Erin Pettit said she had never seen anything like it. “Cold but calm water usually just freezes,” explains the glaciologist.
The next day the weather was even colder. Jonathan went to the beach again, but contrary to expectations, he did not find any half-frozen waves there. In the coastal zone, the ocean was a continuous sheet of ice without the slightest movement.
Sea water does not have a constant freezing point. The temperature at which ice crystals form depends on salinity.
Probably many, sooner or later, seriously or fleetingly, wondered: “Can sea waves freeze” and, in general, can the concept of “frozen waves” exist?
In high school, it would seem, we were given the answer and told that salt water is weakly susceptible to freezing in natural conditions due to constant movement. Everything seems to be true, but there are always exceptions. Regarding the freezing of the “waves”, a US citizen, a certain Jonathan Nimerfroh, put an end to it.
Off the coast of Nantucket Island, he witnessed an extremely rare phenomenon and photographed the “frozen waves” of the Atlantic Ocean.
When the pictures fell into the hands of experts, they explained the phenomenon simply and logically: everything was due to temperature differences (in 2015 there was a record cold winter in the United States).
However, of course, we cannot talk about complete “freezing” - all we see is frozen “slurry” (“mush”) from water and snow... Note that sea water does not have a constant freezing temperature (“freezing point”) . When ice crystals begin to form in salt water depends on the degree of salinity. If the salinity of the water is 35 ‰ (ppm), then it will begin to freeze at -1.9°C (assuming immobility!)
"Instant Freeze"
The frozen waves can be explained by an effect that has been called “flash freezing” on social media. The experiment can be carried out at home by placing a plastic bottle outside (freezer) for a few minutes at a temperature of -5 -7°C. The water will not freeze, but if you shake the bottle well, then...see for yourself:
P.S. But in the Arctic you can actually see frozen wave crests and even entire tsunamis.
If someone tells you that he saw waves that froze right on the fly, do not think that this is a stupid invention. Such a miracle of nature can be seen in Antarctica. Of course, this is not a real tsunami, because water, even in Antarctic frosts, cannot instantly freeze, and even in motion.
If you look at this ice creation, you really get the impression that this is a tsunami that froze before it could crash on the shore. In fact, this natural sculpture was created over hundreds of years (as well as a program for learning English using the method of the secret services!). The secret is that in the summer the ice begins to melt a little, and then freezes again - and so on for many years in a row. At the same time, new layers of ice push out air bubbles. As a result, the ice floe becomes transparent and very durable. This is how this Antarctic miracle of nature is formed with the help of wind, water and sun.
And when the sun's rays hit it, its color seems to turn blue. This is where its name “blue ice” comes from. Just don’t confuse this natural phenomenon with icebergs, they are still different things. It’s simply amazing what miracles are found on our planet! Looking at this work of art, you feel genuine admiration for Mother Nature.
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