Thousands of HUGE ice balls in lake Michigan

No "balls" jokes, please, let's try and keep it scientific.

As the so-called "polar vortex" slowly releases its frigid grip on the Midwest, it's leaving an odd site in its wake: gigantic, spherical ice balls that have taken over Lake Michigan.

A YouTube user uploaded video of the phenomenon in Glen Arbor, Mich., yesterday. The clip shows thousands of rounded, boulder-sized ice balls bobbing up and down in the water.

The balls form when chunks break off the massive ice sheets that coat parts of the lake in the winter, Annie Lipscomb, a park ranger at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, explained to MLive. They gain their shape as waves in the lake ceaselessly toss them about, slowly rolling them into spheres.

What a load of balls.

The restraint was killing me.

Makes me think of the Stone spheres of Costa Rica..

I've never seen anything like that, or heard of such a thing!
Ice balls? Amazing! I love that the internet allows us to experience so much more of our planet than we were ever aware existed!
S&F!

reply to post by MadHatter364

Very cool OP. Never seen anything like that and I lived in the Chicago area for 36 years. I do not miss that cold weather! 76 and sunny here in So Cali today. When I spoke with my mother a few days ago it was 9 below and 50 below Wind Chill back there. Its no wonder we are seeing some things we have not really seen before (not that this has not happened before I just have never seen it) anyway thanks for posting, and it is interesting how these are formed.

reply to post by MadHatter364


really cool

Those are some dirty ice balls. I never see ice like that in Lake superior. Maybe if they haul those ice balls away it will clean up the water a little there. They are probably pure pollution.....it almost looks like there is some oil mixed in them.

reply to post by MadHatter364


I sent a email to 3 of my family members who have lived in Michigan their whole life and asked them if this is normal or have they ever seen or heard of this before. I'll update when I get word back.

I am always amazed by these mysteries! Great find!
S & F

[snip]

Oh sorry, back on topic..
Wow I show head over there and check that out.. just a half hour drive for me..
Maybe I will take the girlfriend so she can laugh at me.....

nature sure does the craziest things sometimes

reply to post by MadHatter364


Crack one open and see if theres an alien inside!! haha but on a serious note, that is pretty cool! Ive never seen that happen before! Great post!

reply to post by MadHatter364

If you think thats crazy.. Check this out.. I cant find a youtube vid..www.facebook.com...

Staroth
reply to post by MadHatter364

 

I sent a email to 3 of my family members who have lived in Michigan their whole life and asked them if this is normal or have they ever seen or heard of this before. I'll update when I get word back.

Good, let us know!

They should have this playing in the background.

reply to post by MadHatter364


Why are they so dirty greyish/brown. Is that from air pollution and soot? Yikes.

Damn...

I hope those didn't fall from the sky...

IF that's the kind of hail we might be looking forward to in the future, we might have serious issues...

:O

Akragon
Damn...

I hope those didn't fall from the sky...

IF that's the kind of hail we might be looking forward to in the future, we might have serious issues...

:O

Man, if that will ever be the case then I guess we'll be ALL going back to Africa!...no hail there.

reply to post by MadHatter364


It hails in africa....

lewtra
reply to post by MadHatter364

 

If you think thats crazy.. Check this out.. I cant find a youtube vid..www.facebook.com...

That's mad! I wonder how long that lasted for. I'm glad houses are made of stone over here

Thats a little north of me and it's just sand mixed in to make the pretty brown. lake Michigan is rather clean concidering our 3 local water plants only filter it and add a little chlorene. Of course today Benton Harbor is on water boiling because somebody screwed up AGAIN but you expect that from the city.

We might have them on our beach but it's been snowing for a week and you can hardly walk out there

reply to post by lewtra

Yup, I'd already seen that one, and it is indeed crazy. Even crazier than this.

Hijinx
reply to post by MadHatter364

 

It hails in africa....

so long to our escape plan then...