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Ice

Ice is a solid phase, usually crystalline, of a non-metallic substance that is liquid or gas at room temperature, such as carbon dioxide ice (dry ice), ammonia ice, or methane ice. However, the predominant use of the term ice is for water ice, technically restricted to one of the 15 known crystalline phases of water. In non-scientific contexts, the term usually means ice Ih, which is known to be the most abundant of these solid phases. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white colour, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions. The addition of other materials such as soil may further alter the appearance.

The most common phase transition to ice Ih occurs when liquid water is cooled below 0°C (273.15K, 32°F) at standard atmospheric pressure. It can also deposit from vapour with no intervening liquid phase, such as in the formation of frost.

Ice appears in nature in forms as varied as snowflakes, hail, icicles, glaciers, pack ice, and entire polar ice caps. It is an important component of the global climate, and plays an important role of the water cycle. Furthermore, ice has numerous cultural applications, from ice cooling of drinks to winter sports and the art of (ice sculpting).

The word is derived from Old English ís, which in turn stems from Proto-Germanic *isaz.

For more information about Ice, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

New Zealand team finds early plant arrivers dominated landscape

(PhysOrg.com) -- It seems intuitive that not all plant species could have taken a foothold on land at the same time all those millions of years ago as conditions on Earth evolved to the point where they could survive; some ...

Biology / Ecology

created Feb 09, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast report

Study shows global glaciers, ice caps, shedding billions of tons of mass annually

Earth's glaciers and ice caps outside of the regions of Greenland and Antarctica are shedding roughly 150 billion tons of ice annually, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder.

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Feb 08, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (10) | comments 14 | with audio podcast

Russia 'drills into' Antarctic subglacial lake

A Russian team has succeeded in drilling through four kilometres (2.5 miles) of ice to the surface of a mythical subglacial Antarctic lake which could hold as yet unknown life forms, reports said Monday.

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Feb 06, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (12) | comments 13

Scientists drill two miles down to ancient Lake Vostok

(PhysOrg.com) -- Russian scientists last week finished penetrating more than two miles through the Antarctic ice sheet to Lake Vostok, a huge freshwater lake that has been buried under the ice for millions ...

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created 7 hours ago | popularity 4.8 / 5 (4) | comments 0

Americans' knowledge of polar regions up, but not their concern

Americans' knowledge of facts about the polar regions of the globe has increased since 2006, but this increase in knowledge has not translated into more concern about changing polar environments, according to new research ...

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Feb 07, 2012 | popularity 1 / 5 (1) | comments 0