3/21/2005: Ice stalagmites

404error sends this one along from todays Earth Sci Pic of the Day. What a beaut! The official caption:

The photo showing intriguing ice stalagmites was taken on February 6, 2005 from near Tunnelton, Pennsylvania. My brother and I drove to Tunnelton to see the old Pennsylvania Railroad viaduct across the Conemaugh River. While there, we went over to see the 1907 Bow Tunnel, which was abandoned in 1950 with the completion of the Conemaugh River Dam flood control project. These stalagmites were formed from water seeping from the tunnel ceiling. In winter, when the temperatures is the tunnel are below freezing, the water droplets freeze on contact, resulting in this fascinating formation. In this case, the dripping water causing the stalagmites doesn't appear to be falling from ice stalactites.

Freaky!

Hattifatteners!

Strange, there's "mites" but no "tites". :confused:

upon closer inspection it appears that there are a few "tite's" along the very top of the tunnel.

Still a great pic though...
Are tite's related to taint's? :eek:

You're right, but I would expect the "tites" to be as large or larger than the "mites". I guess the latent heat in the water, right out of the earth, keeps it from freezing before it can drip. :)

Yeah, my guess is that whatever is keeping it liquid above the roof is also keeping the roof warm enough to prevent ice buildup.

Hattifatteners!

I feel that the Ice man stand to have a meeting.

Happy Monkey wrote:

Hattifatteners!

Somebody has too much time on his hands ...

(very, very cool. Thanks for taking the time to make something this delightful.)

Happy Monkey wrote:

Hattifatteners!

Laughed out loud at that, it's even better than the original picture!

But it's true, you do have too much time on your hands. Must have taken you a while to put eyes on all those. :thumbsup:

He took the condoms off. :eek:

It actually went a bit faster than I expected, using the circle tool on MS paint, while watching 24...

If I'd tried to add those fingery things the hattifatteners have, that would have taken a while.

Dagnabbit, HM. Now I have to clean my monitor.

It'd be a terrible thing to do, I know, but how cool would it be to machete your way through these things with a baseball bat? Or a bowling ball?

I'm thinking either shotgun or full auto AK47.

Especially if they keep staring at me like that.

Especialier (new word) if it's during a thunderstorm, they've turned electric, and you've stolen their barometer.