QuickCheck: Is it true that ice volcanoes exist?

WHEN you picture a volcano, you’ll undoubtedly think of fiery explosions and hot, flowing magma.

But is there such a thing as the opposite – a volcano made from ice?

Verdict:

TRUE

It may surprise you, but yes, ice volcanoes do exist! While cryovolcanoes that erupt gases, water, ammonia, and hydrocarbons only exist on icy planets and moons far away in our solar system, the ice volcanoes you’ll find on earth are quite different from your conventional volcanoes, in the sense that they are not hydrothermal.

Ice volcanoes can be found at the edges of half-frozen lakes – when the lake’s waves and high-speed winds hit the ice shelves, water and slush will shoot up into the air and fall back to the ground, gradually creating a conical shape over time.

This phenomenon can often be seen around Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in North America during winter, when the temperature falls below freezing and the winds can hit speeds of at least 40km/h.

However, before you try to get up close to an ice volcano, beware – it can be dangerous to approach one, as you run the risk of falling through the ice shelf or slipping into the icy cold lake.

References:

1. “Ice Volcanoes of Lake Superior’s South Shore”, Michigan Tech University: https://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/ice

2. “What Are Ice Volcanoes?”, Farmers’ Almanac: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/what-ice-volcanoes

3. “Geo Q&A: What are ice volcanoes?”, GeoScience Info: https://geoscienceinfo.com/geo-q-a-what-are-ice-volcanoes