Wind-pushed, candled lake ice

Location: Yandle Lake, Nunavut 61° 51’ 43.70” N, 96° 32’ 06.49” W

Rare southerly winds pushed candled lake ice onto the south-facing shore of ‘Yandle Island’ in early July, 1975. That this was a rare event was indicated by the destruction of mature vegetation, at least 15 years old and formerly growing at water level. Note the vertical ice crystals typical of candled ice. Candling is the transformation of ice into candle-shaped vertical crystals just before spring breakup. Dave Robertson is the person for scale.

Updated 04/29/2010 AW