Naturally occuring holes in lake ice

[wildWoman]

Does anyone here know about holes that open up in the ice of frozen lakes?? We've been trying to figure that one out but haven't found any info on it. We have some good sized lakes here, and after they're frozen, in the middle of winter even when it's in the -20s, holes open up. Most just small, the size of ping pong balls, but some can be about a foot in diameter. They must be created by the slight current wearing away at the ice, but each winter they show up in different spots and some winters are worse than other. This winter it's really bad, we've got about 20 of them in front of the cabin.
Would be interesting if anyone has observed this too or heard about it.

[Rick]

wildWoman - Try this link. Scan down to two articles on holes in ice.

http://www.idniyra.org/articles.htm

[canid]

holes form in moving bodies of water when currents with temperatured differential to the surface water move.

also candle ice is nasty stuff, but it only happens when the weather is ready for breakup.

the only thing i know of that cause ping pong balll sized holes in established ice during dead winter is seals, and i doubt your lake would have them, eh.

[wildWoman]

Thanks for the link, Rick! That's a great website. Guess it must be current holes that we have here; still wonder why there's so many this year...maybe that guy could come up and do a study!;)

Canid, when we start seeing seals in the lakes here, we really have a problem....:eek:

[woodwose]

Thanks for the link, Rick! That's a great website. Guess it must be current holes that we have here; still wonder why there's so many this year...maybe that guy could come up and do a study!;)

Canid, when we start seeing seals in the lakes here, we really have a problem....:eek:

Global warming?? :D

[RobertRogers]

I think it is where heat is escaping, due to springs, currents, etc. Can be dangerous to walk on

[LadyTrapper]

I agree with RR...no doubt that lake is spring fed from underneath...most of our natural lakes are spring fed here. These holes may be where the water is coming into the lake from underground resevoirs.

[Sourdough]

The decaying plants causes methane gas. Contact the Fairbanks University. In the summer you can put a funnel upside down over the bubbles, light a match, and walla.

If there is brown brown plant matter on top of the holes, that is your muskrats, they are insullating their ingress/egress. But you said nothing of brown plant matter.

The springs will not move year to year. And the number of springs will remain constant year to year.:)

[flandersander]

Inless she lives in a high crust movement area. Where the crust moves a lot and changes the spot of the opening. that happened when we went to the mountains. A spring that i went to as a kid had moved 3 miles down the mountain.

[wildWoman]

No guys, I don't think it's springs. The holes vary vastly in numbers and locations every year. It's a glacier-fed lake system and last summer water levels were at a record high in the lakes because of unprecedented snowfalls the winter before. The lakes froze at a higher level than normal. We're at a very narrow part of a large lake, so to me the current theory makes the most sense. More water volume moving through a narrow part of the lake would create a stronger current, which might explain why this year the number of holes is totally crazy. Although I still have trouble understanding why this would create round holes instead of long narrow openings. But physics was never something I got much of a grasp on...

[RBB]

Does anyone here know about holes that open up in the ice of frozen lakes?? We've been trying to figure that one out but haven't found any info on it. We have some good sized lakes here, and after they're frozen, in the middle of winter even when it's in the -20s, holes open up. Most just small, the size of ping pong balls, but some can be about a foot in diameter. They must be created by the slight current wearing away at the ice, but each winter they show up in different spots and some winters are worse than other. This winter it's really bad, we've got about 20 of them in front of the cabin.
Would be interesting if anyone has observed this too or heard about it.

Don't know much about why they are there, but we used to call them "frost boils" when I was young. They were the bain of my existence as a young trapper. Most often you'd see them on rivers, but sometimes on lakes. I always thought they had something to do with current. If there was no snow, you could pick them out easy enough, but if there was snow, you could step through them.

At about age 12, I stepped through such a hole with my snowshoes on. It took me a long time to get out. It was about 20 below and I was 10 miles from home. Fortunately, there was no wind. I went trough up to my chest, and I had a shotgun shell match holder in my breast pocket which stayed dry. I was able to get a fire going, on the bank, and got my clothing dry enough to make my way home. My feet were pretty well froze, though, and I had to watch for frostbite the rest of that year.

I'm sure you know about carrying ice picks - to help you get out of a hole in the ice. I won't set foot on a frozen lake without mine. I use two 6"X3/8" lag bolts, wrapped around the top with friction tape, for a handle, and attached to one another by a cord that runs through my parka sleeves.

Here is another way to make them:

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/claws.html

[Rick]

One more trick for the basket. Thanks!

[Sourdough]

Ice worms......no, it is methane gas.

[Sarge47]

...but it could be caused by bears falling through the ice...!:rolleyes:

[Sourdough]

There really are ice worms, They very small, like black threads. They live in glaciers; not in fresh water ice.

I have the same type holes in the ice on my lake. They are one inch to say three inch Dia. with most holes 1 1/2" to 2" dia.

The beavers will chew openings, but not more than 10 feet from shore. and generally with-in 2 feet of shore.

The muskrats will have holes all over the lake. The more rats the more rat holes. Some how they push a woven plant fiber up the holes to insulate them. This brown woven material looks like elephant poop.

[Rick]

Don't do it, Sarge. Refrain!! Leave Bear out of this.

I thought you were joking about ice worms and almost called you on it. I'm glad I kept my mouth shut.:D

[Sourdough]

Go for it Sarge. Was it "Roger Wabbit" who could not let a straight line set-up pass. You know you want to go for it.......

[cyc79]

wildWoman,air holes(as we call them)are somewhat of a mystery.Here in northern saskatchewan they are common.I've seen all different sizes on large & small lakes,deep & shallow & in all temperatures from extreme cold to mild.In asking lots of people over the years what causes them it seems everyone has a theory but no one really knows.If it's cloudy they are hard to see.Worse yet is fresh snow as you can drive right into them.Lots of times there's slush around them too making it bad for snowmobiles.One year plowing a road across a large lake the plow tractor dropped a wheel into a big one.For a second there I thought it was going thru.This was over deep water on a lake that has a hard sand bottom.About the only good thing about them is it's easy to get water.Sorry I can't tell you what causes them.