Ok, I get somewhat how it works, but not exactly

[questionposter]

http://gizmodo.com/5862229/this-unreal-slow+motion-ice-tornado-kills-everything-it-touches?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews

 

So wait, is it actually a spinning column of water-ice? How does it kill everything it touches? How does the difference in pressure trigger it exactly?

[md65536]

http://gizmodo.com/5...ource=pulsenews

 

So wait, is it actually a spinning column of water-ice? How does it kill everything it touches? How does the difference in pressure trigger it exactly?

 

No. It's not really a tornado.

It freezes them and encases them in ice (it kills everything that gets stuck in the ice, not everything that touches the outside, as can be seen in the video where starfish are crawling over it).

I don't think it has anything to do with difference in pressure.

 

 

 

This is curious and I want to guess at what's happening here. I don't know for sure though. Guesses:

 

- As saltwater contacts the cold air, it is cooled enough to be able to freeze. The ice that forms from saltwater is purer water (less salty) than the water it froze out of. This means that this very cold saltwater is essentially separated into less-salty ice, and more-salty water, both of which are at temperatures low enough to freeze ice out of the (normal-salty) water. The cold, saltier brine is able to remain as liquid because it is extra salty!

- The saltier brine is heavier and sinks into the surrounding seawater. Because it is so cold, it is able to freeze ice out of the surrounding (less-salty) water. This creates a tube through which it can flow.

- The tube grows and eventually reaches the bottom. At that point, the extra-salty cold brine flows along the sea floor. It is essentially a freezing cold liquid being poured through a less-cold liquid. Anything that has the cold liquid being poured over it can become frozen, and anything that has ice form around it can become trapped in the ice.

 

 

[Kerry]

md65536 is essentially right, but there's also a really good explanation on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brinicle

Edited November 25, 2011 by Kerry

[Enthalpy]

Nice ! Filmed for Bbc...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/15835014 (needs Flash Player 11)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMhBuSBemRk (same without Fp11)