Ice

[Sylvain]

In a lake, does ice sink or melt?????

[DA Aquamaster]

It melts.

Water begins to expand at 35 degrees F which is very convenient as it means ice forms on the surface of lakes (and oceans) rather than on the bottom. If this were not the case, ice would form at the bottom of a lake and be insultated under all the cold to cool water above it. The result would be frozen lake and sea beds that would be highly resistant to completely melting over the summer. This residual ice would build up in colder climates and eventually freeze all the way to the surface. To make it worse, the increased frozen surface area of the planet would reflect more heat resulting in a global cooling effect (similar to what happens during ice ages) and eventually a totally frozen ice planet could result. Great for hockey players, not so great for suba divers.

A side benefit of the anomalous expansion of water is that oxygenated water cools and sinks to the bottom and when it cools to 35 degrees begins to rise again to eventually freeze at the surface. In most lakes this means the lake turns over twice per year and allows some oxygen to reach the deeper parts of the lakes. Without this cycle the O2 levels at the bottom of deep water lakes would be even lower than they already are.

[Firediver]

Melts. If it sank dang mactaquac head pond would be a popsicle all summer..

[Sylvain]

Thaught this would of been a good one to ask, lots of people I spoke to say they ice gets water log and sinks then finish melting once at the bottom. I am a firm beleiver that it melts at the surface, is there anybody out there that support the theory of the ice sinking????????

[Warren_L]

Thaught this would of been a good one to ask, lots of people I spoke to say they ice gets water log and sinks then finish melting once at the bottom. I am a firm beleiver that it melts at the surface, is there anybody out there that support the theory of the ice sinking????????
That doesn't sound right. Even if ice gets waterlogged, it should still be less dense than the surrounding water.

[gfisher4792]

Has anyone ever seen an ice cube sink in a glass or water? Probably not.

[getwet2]

;) Everytime I've been on the lake and had ice in a drink it seems to melt not sink!