18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Ice Magic

This is an image of Methane bubbles trapped in ice at sunrise at Abraham Lake in Canada. As this lake is a dam and reservoir, there is a lot of vegetation on the bed of the lake which releases methane. As the ice freezes, the methane gets trapped in layers of bubbles creating fascinating shapes and formations. It is also a very windy location, which helps to keep the snow off of the ice.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Canada
Copyright: © Carmen Therriault