Someone please explain why this happened to my ice tray?

This one is for Kosmicjack....

Those are ice spikes.

Essentially what happens is that the when water freezes in low temperatures there is a hole and as the water expands upon freezing it forces the remaining water out of the hole, like a volcano. Someone might have already answered this.

Here's a site: www.its.caltech.edu...

Since ice expands as it freezes, the ice freezing below the surface starts to push water up through the hole in the surface ice (see diagram). If the conditions are just right, then water will be forced out of the hole in the ice and it will freeze into an ice spike, a bit like lava pouring out of a hole in the ground to makes a volcano. But water does not flow down the sides of a thin spike, so in that way it is different from a volcano. Rather, the water freezes around the rim of the tube, and thus adds to its length. The spike can continue growing taller until all the water freezes, cutting off the supply, or until the tube freezes shut. The tallest spike we've seen growing in an ordinary ice cube tray was 56mm (2.2in) long.

It's a male.

when i see my ice trays like that, i just close the door and give them some privacy.

reply to post by OrphanApology


But it only happened to my ice trays if noone else touched the ice trays. I am wondering why this just right for ice spikes condition happens around certain people.

en.wikipedia.org...:K0019.ogv

Here is a gif of one forming. Kinda creepy.

reply to post by GraveRobert


Ice trays where the temperature is just below freezing are more likely to form these as opposed to a flash freeze. It could also be that the temperature of the water when you put the cubes in is a different temperature than the other people you speak of.

Also it seems minerals in water can have an effect on their formation as well:

I have some ideas about why distilled water might make ice spikes more readily than tap water, but so far I cannot explain why some tap waters make copious ice spikes. We measured the probability of ice spike formation as a function of salt (NaCl) concentration in distilled water, at a fixed temperature of -7C, which is shown in the graph at right. Very little salt is needed to kill the ice spikes. All tap waters contain relatively high concentrations of various mineral salts, so apparently different impurities have different effects on ice spike formation.

www.its.caltech.edu...

reply to post by OrphanApology


Not just in their faucets.. only from faucets where I am the whole cleaner there of and filler of said and cleaned ice trays. OP if this is also true for you, it would help not having a future thread.

bigfatfurrytexan
when i see my ice trays like that, i just close the door and give them some privacy.

This just made me bust out laughing.

reply to post by porschedrifter


This Guy

It was created by a freon vortex center in your refrigerator.