Lake Michigan is covered with pieces of blue ice ... why?
Arab Weather - Winters are considered one of the most beautiful seasons in Lake Michigan in the United States of America, and the lake shone in a remarkable view this week with pieces of blue ice, so be what is the reason behind the appearance of pieces of ice in this charming blue color ?!
I just can't get over these pictures of blue ice, captured by Kim Mettler, in the Straits of Mackinac! # PureMichigan pic.twitter.com/yxmtporSsn
- Samantha Jacques (@WXSamantha) February 15, 2021
The ice is supposed to be transparent, but it sometimes appears blue due to three basic reasons:
1. In order for ice to appear blue, it needs density, the thicker the ice, the more blue it is likely to appear.
2. The milky solution should be pure with very few bubbles.
3. That long wavelengths of white light be absorbed, only short wavelengths are reflected.
The thick, bubble-free ice absorbs long-wavelength colors more, this means that orange, yellow and red are no longer visible, and only the colors of short wavelength are left of the visible color spectrum, which is reflected to our eyes, so the ice appears with a wonderful mixture of Green, blue, and purple, but our eyes tend to distinguish blue more.
This stunning blue ice can be seen in any of the Great Lakes, but it is more common near the Mackinac Strait, due to the purity and thickness of the ice that usually forms in this area.
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