Surprising 111 Frozen Water Facts That You Need To Know

Did you know that the Antarctic ice sheet measures more than the entire combined area of Mexico and the United States?

Let's revise some basic science: drinking water or plain water (made of hydrogen atoms and oxygen) exists in three states: solid-state, liquid state, and water vapor. Now on to history: historians say that the last Ice Age ended about 11,700 years ago, during which the entire planet was covered in glacial ice!

You know that your cold drinks wouldn’t taste that great without ice cubes. But, have you ever wondered what makes them the way they are? The snow is so fun to play with, but do you know all the secrets about snow?

Did you know we have an exclusive frozen water part of the Earth system known as the cryosphere. The National Snow & Ice Data Center is responsible for providing the resources to study the cryosphere.

Ice caps (an ice cap is an area of water ice mass) on top of huge mountains are made of frozen water. The global water cycle is responsible for the generation and distribution of water around the entire world.

There have been five major ice ages in the history of this planet. These ice ages include - Huronian, Cryogenian, Andean-Saharan, Karoo, and Quaternary. A popular theory that is known as the Snowball Earth states that at two separate points during the ice ages, the entire Earth from the equator to the poles was covered by ice!

Scientists believe that it takes the combination of carbon dioxide and global warming to melt it. Climate change is a real phenomenon that might pose great danger to world treasures like the Antarctic ice sheet, which is melting.

Water freezes at 32 F (0 C), and it is really cold. So cold that water molecules don't stay liquid but rather turn into ice crystals - this is thus known as a freezing point. The solid form of water is therefore called ice. Ice crystals vary in their size.

We know how ice forms when the temperature of water drops. Let us check out some more interesting ice-cool facts about frozen water. Afterward, also read about where does water come from and the water cycle for kids.

Types Of Ice

Did you know that there are actually various types of ice present on the planet? Yes, read these interesting facts on different types of ice available.

You must have seen videos of something called dry ice on the internet. Dry ice can also form an ice crystal when it comes in contact with glass which is really cool.

Fun fact: liquid water is actually denser than ice! Liquid water is actually the most common type of water that we know.

Water molecules turn to ice crystals at freezing point (water freezes here). Let us look at some different types of ice and ice forms.

The first one that we should look into is dry ice; it is relatively colder at about -108.4 F (-78 C).

If we try to define dry ice in simple words: carbon dioxide in solid form is dry ice. If you’ve ever watched a play and wondered where all those smokey special effects come from, you should know that dry ice is used for the effects of fog.

It gets its name due to the fact that on heating, it doesn’t turn into water molecules; instead, it directly turns to gas through sublimation.

You might believe that snow and ice are the same things; not exactly. Snow is produced at 32 F (0 C); snow is essentially frozen water vapor while ice is frozen water. So, snow and ice are not the same things. Snow can be seen as very fine ice crystals that reside in the atmosphere.

Next, let us focus on sea ice. This is basically sea water, frozen, again, very cold with temperatures falling to 28.7 F (-1.8 C).

While we’re talking about sea ice, it might be interesting to talk about sea ice extent. Sea ice extent is basically an area of the ocean with some form of sea ice, with the most famous one being the Arctic sea ice extent.

Sea ice has a few types like new ice, young ice, old ice, and nilas.

Sea ice also has ice forms like pancake sea ice - generally formed at the intersections of water bodies, brash ice - a collection of floating ice, ice cake - a flat piece of ice, floe - which has various types, and fast ice - forms along coasts near water bodies.

Next, let us talk about ice cores. Ice cores have a temperature of around -32.8 F (-36 C). Ice cores are actually used to study climate change since they can detect temperature changes! For example, this is how we know that South America is losing its glaciers due to climate change.

The National Ice Core Laboratory in the United States is the primary ice core repository in the world!

Properties

Are you looking for some information on the properties of frozen water? Then these properties of ice sheets will undoubtedly offer you all the details that you are looking for.

Frozen water is commonly known as ice. The term frozen is more technical since when you say the word frozen, temperature variations come into play. Either way, one thing is for sure, frozen water is really cold!

Properties of ice have been a part of the chemistry taught in schools as kids are taught about the various states of water.

You must know of snow too, think of all the times when you’ve either seen snow or had the chance to experience the softness of snow; maybe you did some adventure sports on snow in very cold weather as well.

Let's make a list of all the properties we can explore about ice. These include the following:

Ice is the solid form of water; ice is formed when water drops to 32 F (0 C).

Ice actually has no taste or smell like water. Ice is less dense than liquid water, which is why ice tends to float on water.

An interesting process called regelation occurs when pressure is applied on ice crystals near the melting point; the edges may melt off. But, when the pressure is released, the ice reforms.

The addition of salt actually decreases the melting point of ice. This is the reason why saltwater melts faster.

Naturally, ice is found in places like the Antarctic ice sheet - this region called the Antarctic ice sheet is located near the continent of Antarctica, the Arctic ice sheet, and the Greenland ice sheet; also, ice caps are a source of ice in a slightly wetter form due to the altitude.

If we dive into the chemical properties, ice is made of one hydrogen and two oxygen atoms, the H-O-H formation. These atoms bond really tightly to each other.

Water and ice have similar chemical properties but vastly different physical properties.

Ice can be found in many shapes and forms, including ice cubes.

Characteristics

Every element in this universe has its own characteristics, which, of course, includes ice. While reading about properties, a lot of characteristics can be discovered about ice. Here are some of the most critical aspects of the different characteristics that ice exhibits.

Ice is naturally found in various regions around the world. It also varies from place to place as to which form of ice will be found.

Frozen water has actually made its way to the rest of our Solar System too! Believe it or not but a lot of the planets have freezing temperatures due to their distance from the Sun, and they also have water for freezing.

The coldest ice to have ever been recorded is Ice XIV, having a temperature of -256 F (-160 C)! It has a very basic molecular structure. This is proof that ice can go way below 32 F (0 C) - its formative point.

A phenomenon called ice storm happens when ice travels amidst temperature changes in the atmosphere.

The indigenous people of north-western Alaska, the Inupiaq, have over 100 names for ice which is necessary for their survival.

The Greenland ice sheet covers about 80% landmass of Greenland. It is one of the biggest sources of fresh water.

Fun Frozen Water Facts

Till now, we have seen the various forms of ice, their properties, and their characteristics. We have also discovered how they affect life on this planet. It is now time to check out some more extremely interesting facts about frozen water.

Here we will not only explore the presence and importance of ice sheets on our planet but also in space.

Ice is found in various regions in various forms, shapes, and sizes, even making its way out of this planet entirely, which leaves room for so many more exciting discoveries.

However, there are other secrets about ice as well, which may come as a surprise to you. Let us take a journey through these facts and increase our points for trivia night!

The Northern Hemisphere is home to some gigantic ice sheets, namely, the Greenland and Arctic ice sheets. The Arctic ice sheet actually contains the largest sea ice extent extending over millions of square miles.

Climate change is severely affecting the Greenland ice sheet. The home to about 10% of the world’s glacial ice, the Greenland ice sheet is melting away very fast.

Have you ever heard of cryovolcanoes? These are ice volcanoes!

Various planets in our Solar System, which are farther from the Sun (like Jupiter and Saturn), also have ice. In fact, planets like Neptune and Uranus are known as ice giants, for their surface is entirely made up of ice!

When we talk about space, how can we not talk about our own moon? While the Moon may appear to be a grayish desolate alien land but it also has huge resources of water. Yes, there are considerable quantities of water present on the Moon in the form of sub-surface ice.

Moreover, other than the Earth, no other celestial body has liquid water on the surface, even though considerable water resources are present in the form of sub-surface ice.

Various studies by leading science organizations have indicated that all the water on the Earth is extra-terrestrial. Shocked? Yes, many scientists are of the belief that it was the ancient asteroids that were responsible for bringing water on the Earth from the deep reaches of space.

Though scientists have speculated that there are substantial underwater oceans under the surface of moons Europa and Enceladus, the presence of liquid water is yet to be confirmed. It is estimated that the sub-surface ocean is covered with an extremely thick layer of ice.

It looks like ice is the most common form of water in the entire universe.

White isn’t the only color of ice. Glaciers often tend to look blueish-green due to reflections.

Ice cores, apart from giving us information about climate changes, also provide us with information about the Earth’s history.

What is unique about freezing water? We know that water freezes at 32 F (0 C).

Snow and ice are both connected to freezing water somehow since snow and ice both are frozen forms of some form of water. Freezing water also happens to be less dense than its liquid form. Ice actually has many various forms and temperature states; this is what makes ice so special!

What makes frozen water? When a liquid like water is cooled down, the molecules inside water lose their kinetic energy and start to move slower than usual. At temperatures near 32 F (0 C), water molecules bind together and form what is known as frozen water (or ice).

Changes in the amounts of ice, or precisely, sea ice, affect the regular flow of oceans and other water bodies. This leads to variations in sea level - sea level is the base to measure elevations and depths.

A warmer temperature means more melting of glaciers which leads to a rise in the sea level. A rise in sea level can cause soil erosion leading to loss of crops. Ocean currents are also affected due to this phenomenon.

What are the largest freshwater reserves on Earth? Freshwater is the water that is suitable for human consumption after some treatment. Glaciers are, in fact, the largest reservoirs of fresh water; but, this water is under threat due to the melting of ice sheets.

Does a sea floor contain frozen water? Despite conflicting reports, it is safe to assume that seafloors don’t have ice since those regions are closer to lava. A crack in seafloors may lead to underwater volcanoes!

What are ice caps? Ice caps are generally found near the poles. This term is used to define the regions at the north and south poles of the Earth, which are entirely covered with ice. As a matter of fact, these terms are also used universally. For example, Mars is also known to have polar ice caps.

Did you know?

Frozen ice sheets are present at the poles of the Earth. It is these ice sheets that are the primary source of water on the Earth as most of the glaciers on the Earth are located in the polar regions only.

Moreover, most of the rivers on the planet originate from a frozen ice body only. Hence, these frozen ice sheets play an extremely crucial role in the ecology of the planet. But the pace at which climate change is happening, the rate of melting of the polar ice has quickened considerably.

As a result, we are witnessing a rapid increase in the water levels in our seas. This does not bode well for humanity in any way.

Rising water levels are flooding the coastal areas leading to considerable loss of human lives and resources. But rather than slowing down, most countries are engaging in aggressive commercial activities that are further quickening the pace of global warming.

As a result, the ecology and environment in various regions are also being severely affected. It is feared that in the coming decades, regions like Kiribati, Maldives, Solomon Islands, Fiji Islands, and several others might get completely submerged underwater, leading to a huge humanitarian crisis.

Therefore, it is extremely important for the global community to engage in a meaningful manner and take some concrete steps to first reduce and then reverse the pace of climate change.

Other than humans, the melting of the polar ice sheets will have a considerable impact on the native animals of the region. Polar bears, seals, and penguins are three of the most common animals found in the region. Melting of the ice sheets would put the habitat and life of these animals in danger.

Ice sheets also play an extremely important role in the water cycle on the Earth, as we know that most of the fresh water on the planet is present in the form of ice.

So, when the ice melts due to climatic changes, the water is then exposed to the sunlight and is evaporated in the form of water vapor.

When this water vapor reaches the atmosphere, it combines with dust and other materials present in the atmosphere resulting in the formation of clouds. When the clouds get too big to hold the water together, rainfall takes place in the form of precipitation.

During the process of precipitation, the water vapors condense again into water and fall back on the Earth.

It is this rainfall that plays an extremely important role in making fresh water available for humans, animals, and plants. So, we can say that, in a way, ice sheets are essential for the survival of life on planet Earth.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for surprising 111 frozen water facts that you need to know, then why not take a look at water evaporation or nutrition facts for water.