Bare ice
Bare ice or bare ice is an unspecific expression that is mainly used by mountaineers to denote smooth ice surfaces, especially on glaciers or frozen water surfaces , which represent a particular obstacle. Bare ice surfaces, especially if they are inclined, can only be climbed with crampons . Furthermore, smooth, transparent ice surfaces on bodies of water are referred to as bare ice.
Formation of bare ice
Bare ice from glacier formation
Bare ice is created in the process of glacier formation through constant pressure from the snow masses lying on top of one another. After one to three years, coarse-grained firne ice forms , which still contains a lot of air. After another three to five years, the actual blank ice develops from firne ice in the form of blue or green glacier ice (with inclusion of algae). From six to ten meters of fresh, loose snow, around 1 m of firn and only 10 cm of glacier ice are created. The structure of glacier ice is fundamentally different from that of the bare ice formed from water by freezing.
Formation of bare ice by freezing water
In contrast to glacier ice, in which the crystals have a granular structure, this is elongated in frozen bare ice.
The formation process of flat, bare ice surfaces on bodies of water is linked to certain conditions:
- Rapid cooling of the water surface
- Calm
- No current
- No snowfall
Ice surfaces created in this way on bodies of water are translucent and ideal for ice skating . Through the frozen ice you can often observe the underwater world and also see interesting structures that are enclosed in the ice.
literature
- Pepi Stückl, Georg Sojer: Mountaineering ; Bruckmann Verlag; 1999; ISBN 3765428590