Hair Ice

[flameshots]

I found this stuff in pastures near where I live. It took some research but I finally figured out that It's called Hair Ice. It normally grows on rotting wood but as you can see from this example it will grow on many things. These are growing at the base of a woody stalk in the pastures. I hope the pictures do it justice.

 

[pbelarge]

It looks like the packing material found in some packages. Cool stuff....

 

[rainking]

Interesting. Never seen this stuff before. Did you get any closer pictures to see the details?

 

[flameshots]

Interesting. Never seen this stuff before. Did you get any closer pictures to see the details?

Unfortunately no. I really wanted some off camera lighting but I was just driving down the road. Thankfully I usually keep a camera with me at all times. I haven't seen them ever before and haven't seen them since. From what I can find out it really takes a specific set of circumstances to make it grow. It kinda reminds me of hard candy.

 

[Abby Rose]

Huh, weird. Doesn't even hardly look like ice! It would make for some cool macros, I think...

 

[starcluster]

it comes in winter in a very low temperature degree, right! my first seeing something like that, Amazing! its also remind me of plastic, and i think it looks much like it, the one it used for rapping the food....

 

[flameshots]

Huh, weird. Doesn't even hardly look like ice! It would make for some cool macros, I think...

I agree!

Oh great, now I'm gonna have to keep my Macro lens, remote triggers, multiple speedlites, and a tripod in my truck.

It'll be worth it if I get the shot right?

 

[Breaux]

That's weird - and I've never heard of it before! Thanks for showing me something new.

 

[Josh220]

Pretty cool shot! Hair Ice is ice that grows outward from the surface of the wood, as super-cooled water emerges from the wood, freezes and adds to the hairs from the base. It's sometimes called Silk or Cotton Candy Ice.

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

Interesting... as mentioned though... I'd be interested to see this from a more macro point of view.

On a side note... When I first saw your tittle, I saw "Hair Lice" and was pretty revolted. I guess I need to learn how to read again...

 

[flameshots]

Pretty cool shot! Hair Ice is ice that grows outward from the surface of the wood, as super-cooled water emerges from the wood, freezes and adds to the hairs from the base. It's sometimes called Silk or Cotton Candy Ice.

Yeah, some of the examples I found on the web definatelly looked like cotton candy. These seemed to look a lot more fluid. The really cool thing was this stuff was everywhere in the pastures. When I saw it the first time I thought there was a packing popcorn truck running down the road loosing it's load!:lmao:

I finally got close enough to see what they really were and couldn't help but take a few shots.

 

[clanthar]

Hi,

Your photo is actually a variant on hair ice, your's is a frost flower or ice flower or ice ribbon -- nice one too. I'd heard of these but never seen one in real life. Then I noticed your post the other day. Today I went for my Wednesday afternoon walk in the woods and sure enough had my first real encounter with the phenomenon -- coincidence. Mine's not as spectacular as yours, but I was excited. They form when water, via capilary action, exudes from a plant and immediately freezes -- takes very sepcific conditions.

Joe