Ever seen anything like this in your freezer?  These are pictures of ice spikes that the freezer in our faculty lounge makes on occasion.  Click on an image to see a larger version of the image.  The first three pictures are different views of the same ice spike.  Ice Spike 4 is a different ice spike.  If you ever see something like this in your freezer, please write to me at kxt7@psu.edu and tell me as much about it as you can.   Thanks.  (Pictures by John Pietrolaj and Kip Trout) 

For more details on ice spike formation, see Kenneth G. Libbrecht's excellent site at  http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/icespikes/icespikes.htm
 
 

Ice Spike 1
Ice Spike 2
Ice Spike 3
Ice Spike 4

   

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