In Kazakhstan's Almaty region, a stunning ice volcano standing 45 feet tall attracted many thousands of people for its incredible formation.
Despite the thick blanket of snow in the area and the harsh weather, tourists were not stopped to visit the ice volcano formation. The frozen structure was formed from an underground spring that spouted water, freezing it once released.
Although this is not the first time an ice volcano formed in Almaty, as small ice volcanoes also formed last year, locals said that the recent ice volcano in the area is the first to continuously spout water from its top opening that mimics a lava-filled volcano. The continuous water spout has created a small ice rink near its base.
A local shared online that the area is usually covered with greenery during summer, but the iceberg increases to 14 meters and creates a picturesque location during winter.
Ice Volcanoes: Cold Eruption From Below
Tengri Travel reports that the formation of an ice volcano sits between the Kegan and Shrganak villages located about four hours away from Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana), the capital city of Kazakhstan.
A similar natural phenomenon also occurred in the same time last year, in February 2020, wherein a meteorologist near Lake Michigan spotted some ice volcanoes, LadBible reported.
Ernie Ostuno stumbled upon the cone-shaped mounds of ice at Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan, when he noticed waves were pushing the water up through its opening that made it looked like an eruption.
"We were cold enough to form ice on the shore of Lake Michigan, and water had broken the surface of that ice," meteorologist Cort Spholten of the National Weather Service said. "The waves ... were strong enough so the water channels through, it squeezes water upwards and tosses the floating ice up."
He added that the water released formed a cone over the course of few hours of days, resembling a lava-filled volcano.
Daily UK News reported that the ice volcanoes in Kazakhstan were typically found in arcs along the shoreline, but the Almaty region is formed on top of a spring. It is an area that is typically covered with greenery during summer but becomes transforms into an icy land during winter.
How Do Ice Volcanoes Form?
MailOnline reported that these types of volcanoes are usually formed at the edge of the ice shelf, wherein the high surf movement helps its formation. However, conditions in the area must be all met for an ice volcano to be formed.
It should be cold enough with at least three feet high of surf in the area, and the surroundings must be covered in ice. The news outlet reported that the ice volcano's eruption comes from the energy below the ice shelf that pushes the water up through its openings. That is why these formations mimic the volcano that is about to erupt.
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