Ice wheel from Vana-Vigala

The Vana-Vigala ice wheel in January 2019

The ice wheel in January 2016

The ice wheel of Vana-Vigala ( Estonian Vana-Vigala jääratas ) is a winter natural phenomenon in the form of a circling ice disc that regularly forms on the Vigala River in Vana-Vigala in Estonia .

The circular ice disc is created without human intervention on the surface of the river before the water freezes over. It forms in each case at a strong bend in the river in an area in which the river has expanded into a basin and has a greater water depth. The diameter of the disc is around 20 to 24 meters. The size, speed of rotation and strength depend on weather conditions. Ice thicknesses of up to 14 centimeters were measured. In some years the ice disc could bear the weight of people. The duration of one revolution is 7 to 13 minutes. Depending on the temperature, the appearance of the rotating ice wheel lasts for several days. When the temperature drops, the water between the rotating disk and the ice cover freezes over.

The circumstances that lead to the formation of the ice disc have not yet been clearly clarified. Some observers suspect a vortex formation caused by the flow conditions, others a more complex water movement, underwater sources or other physical causes, such as the explanation of Belgian physicists for the phenomenon of circling ice discs . In 2016, they demonstrated in laboratory tests that melting ice disks in relatively warm water can start rotating even if there is no drive from an external current.

The phenomenon in Vana-Vigala first appeared in 2004, then in 2009 and almost annually thereafter. In early 2019, the ice wheel gained nationwide attention in Estonia. The national daily Postimees reported in a video that the ice wheel of Vana-Vigala was one of the favorite motifs for photos and videos of nature lovers in winter 2018/19.

• Play media file

  Video of the ice wheel from the shore, January 2016 (1:14 minutes)

• Play media file

  Video of the ice wheel from a bird's eye view, January 2019 (2:06 minutes)

Web links

Commons : Eisrad von Vana-Vigala  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Description of the ice wheel from Vana-Vigala
• Animated graphic explaining the ice wheel near Delfi from January 11, 2019 (Estonian)
• Jaan Viska: Jääratas pöörlemas Vana-Vigalas - middle ainult kylauudis.ee, January 11, 2017 (Estonian)
• Olev Kenk: "Fotod ja video: Vigala jääratas hakkas taas pöörlema" novaator.err.ee, January 9, 2019 (Estonian)
• Kadi-Maarja Võsu: Hard Rock Laagri müstiline hällipaik: Vana-Vigalas pöörleb haruldane jääratas sky.ee, January 8, 2019 (video, 00:53 minutes)
• Vigala jõele tekkis jäine loodusime in Postimees on January 8, 2008 (Estonian)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Vana-Vigala Raamatukogu blogi , January 8, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019 (Estonian).
2. ↑ The Vigala Ice Wheel , January 2, 2016. Accessed January 31, 2019.
3. ↑ S. Dorboló, N. Adami, C. Dubois, H. caps, N. Vandewalle, B. Darbois-Texier: Rotation of melting ice disks due to melt fluid flow . In: Physical Review E . Vol. 93, No. 3 , March 2016, doi : 10.1103 / PhysRevE.93.033112 , arxiv : 1510.06505 .
4. ↑ Loodus meisterdas jõele pöörleva jääratta in Postimees of January 20, 2004. Retrieved January 31, 2019 (Estonian).
5. ↑ Tiia Truu: Vigalas kordus viie aasta tagune loodusime in the regional newspaper Nädaline from January 6, 2009. Accessed January 31, 2019 (Estonian).
6. ↑ Reporter: Jääratas külmus kokku on Postimees TV from January 13, 2019. Accessed January 31, 2019 (Estonian).

Coordinates: 58 ° 46 ′ 41.7 ″  N , 24 ° 15 ′ 45.1 ″  E