Ice on a Hawaii volcano? It happens — and photos show the strangely shaped formations
Needle-shaped ice formed ”among the cinders” on the summit of a volcano in Hawaii, photos show.
Haleakala National Park shared photos showing the phenomenon in the park’s Summit District in a Jan. 17 post on Facebook.
The ice needles can be seen clumped together in thick columns with bits of soil on top of the structures.
Needle ice forms when ground temperatures sit above freezing while the air temperature drops below freezing, officials said. Without sunlight warming the air, moisture in the ground rises, freezing into columns of needle-shaped icicles that grow up through the earth.
It can happen any time of year with the right temperature conditions and doesn’t even have to be snowing for it to occur, officials said.
The phenomenon is most common during ho’oilo, the cold, wet season from November to March, officials said. But once the sun rises and warms up the ground, the needle ice doesn’t last long.
“This is a great reminder to bundle up when visiting the summit, no matter the month,” officials said.
This story was originally published January 19, 2024 at 2:31 PM with the headline "Ice on a Hawaii volcano? It happens — and photos show the strangely shaped formations."
