Lessons Learned On The Farm Too

Ice Ribbons?

{ 11:48, Saturday, December 9, 2006 } { 4 comments } { Link }

This morning my 10 year old son Jake and I went out to our horse pasture to do some measuring for a new fence. It was still early and the sun hadn't reached the end of the pasture where we started. As we were walkin and talkin I happened to noticed what appeared to be stuffing out of a pillow all along the edge of the field.

After a closer look this is what we found.

Now I grew up in the country most all of my life and have really been getting out closer to nature in the past 4 years or so, but I have never seen anything like this before. The best way to describe it is ice ribbons. Up from the bottom of these particular type of weedy plants were hundreds of ice ribbons. If you'll look close in the pictures you will notice that the ice is very thin and very fragile. It actually will disintegrate right in your hand when you touch it.

If any of you know what the proper name for this is or can tell me the geophysics behind this I would be very grateful. I smell a homeschool science lesson in the making....

Thanks, God Bless, and GO VOLS!
- Tony

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{ 04:10, Sunday, December 10, 2006 } { Posted by Ilona }
Wow, I've never seen anything like that! I googled "ice ribbons" and there were a few interesting-looking pages. The highest page is by a man who has studied ice ribbons a bit. Wikipedia also has an article titled Frost Flowers. This seems like a really interesting phenomenon and a great homeschool
topic : )

Ilona

So cool

{ 11:21, Sunday, December 10, 2006 } { Posted by juliestew }
But I'm no help either. It's cool because on the ground it almost looks like fog or the "smoke" from dry ice. Post when you find out what it is and what causes it. I'm up for a homeschool science lesson. Oh, I enjoyed the dog story the other day and can't wait for you to tell it to Tripp. I just wouldn't do it justice, I know.
IN HIM...
juls

Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!

{ 02:19, Sunday, December 10, 2006 } { Posted by maa }
That is amazing! Did these ice ribbons only appear on your farm? Did they appear on any of your neighbors farm ? I have never seen any thing like it in my life. I enjoyed reading your post.
Belle~homesteadgirls

Found a site...

{ 12:24, Friday, December 22, 2006 } { Posted by Ashli }
Look here:

http://www.ilstu.edu/~jrcarter/ice/

A lot of interesting stuff about them there. They're very fun with kids...try not bothering them and droping food coloring on them to watch the pretty colors :o) That's fun for experiments..

Warm thoughts your way,

Ashli