December 2020 • Nebraskaland 37
Other Phenomena
When I'm out, I also notice and photograph other intriguing
phenomena, such as pockets of air around plant stems and
"streams" of tiny bubbles radiating outward from both plants
and dead animals embedded in ice.
The pockets of air around
plant stems, especially close to the top surface of the ice,
might be caused by the ice melting around the edges of those
stems as the sun warms them. The streams of tiny radiating
bubbles are a little trickier for me to explain, but
I suppose
it has to do with air being forced out of the saturated dead
insects, leaves or stems as they freeze.
Sometimes, the majority of ice in a frozen wetland is
as opaque as the center of those ice cubes I mentioned
earlier, and there's not much to photograph. If I were better
organized and analytical, I'd try to keep track of the weather
and other conditions that lead to the formation of opaque
ice. That would save me the disappointment of bundling up
on a cold blustery day, only to find ice I can't do much with
photographically.
On a good day, though, I'll find that the surface of a
wetland or lake has numerous layers and patches of ice that
have frozen and formed in various ways. As I explore those
sites, I'll often find clear ice with bubbles visible several
inches or more below the surface, various colors and tones
of frozen water, and air pockets and streams of tiny bubbles
around frozen plants and other organisms — especially near
the shore.
ABOVE: The streams of bubbles from this dead damselfly
larva may be a result of air being forced from its body as it
froze.
LEFT: Wetlands like this one at Deep Well State Wildlife
Management Area can be a treasure trove of frozen bubbles
and other surprises.
