Bewitching Blue Ice Washes Ashore on Michigan Beach
Michigan Winter can be beautiful and beguiling even when conditions have been mild. See the shards of blue ice that washed up on Saginaw Bay.
It looks like it could have come from the china cabinet at your grandmother's house. You know, the one with the vintage cobalt-tinged glassware with Delft plates to match. Photographer Doug Julian shared his discovery with the Facebook group Gateway Bay City of the shards of azure ice washed up on the sands of Saginaw Bay.
Taken on Tuesday, January 15, it's hard to say if the ice came down the Saginaw River or in from the Bay. It seems more than just a trick of the light that the ice has a distinctive indigo tinge and, like me, you probably wondered how this happens. The phenomenon is most common in glaciers and looks more like Alaska or Antarctica than Eastern Michigan. ThoughtCo explains that the blue color is evoked when the air bubbles in the ice are compressed.
For more on the science, go HERE, and for the amazing photos, just scroll down.