This story was first published on November 13, 2007

Outline

Description accompanying a series of photographs of a spectacular ice formation claims that the images show a giant wave that froze instantly as the wave broke.





Brief Analysis

The photographs are genuine. However, they do not show a giant wave somehow snap-frozen in the very act of breaking as claimed. In fact, the ice in the formation was built up slowly over time rather than formed instantly.

Example

Subject: Frozen tidal wave – amazing The water froze the instant the wave broke through the ice. That’s what it is like in Antartica. Water freezes the instant it comes in contact with the air.The temperature of the water is already some degrees below freezing. Just look at how the wave froze in midair? Note: the original email came with a further 15 photographs

Detailed Analysis

This spectacular series of images circulates via email and has also been posted on various websites, blogs, and online forums. A description commonly included with the images claims that they depict a large tidal wave or tsunami wave instantly frozen as it breaks. However, the ice formation shown in the images is not an instantly frozen wave.

The photographs were taken by scientist Tony Travouillon in Antarctica. Many of the images were previously available in a gallery on Travouillon’s website.









The pictures do not show a giant wave somehow snap-frozen in the very act of breaking. The formation contains blue ice, and this is compelling evidence that it was not created instantly from a wave of water. Blue ice is created as the ice is compressed and trapped air bubbles are squeezed out. The ice looks blue because, when light passes through thick ice, blue light is transmitted back out but red light is absorbed.

An article on the Alaska Science Forum notes:

The color of ice can be used to estimate its strength and even how long it has been frozen. Arctic Ocean ice is white during its first year because it is full of bubbles. Light will travel only a short distance before it is scattered by the bubbles and reflected back out. As a result, little absorption occurs, and the light leaves with the same color it had when it went in. During the summer, the ice surface melts and new overlying ice layers compress the remaining air bubbles. Now, any light that enters travels a longer distance within the ice before it emerges. This gives the red end of the spectrum space enough to be absorbed, and the light returned at the surface is blue. Arctic explorers and mountain climbers know that old, blue ice with fewer bubbles is safer and stronger than white ice. An added bonus for explorers is knowing that floating camps built on blue ice will last longer.

Thus, the deep blue colour suggests that the ice in the formation was built up slowly over time rather than formed instantly. Subsequent melting and refreezing over many seasons has given the formation its smooth, wave-like appearance.

Frozen Tidal Wave Photographs was last modified: by

Related





