Wednesday, January 02, 2013
In the winter, we often see these white lines snaking across Mount Hope Bay.
I assume that they are lines of ice crystals but can anyone explain to me why they form in a line like this?
Some basic facts...
The photo was taken at 12:50 pm today looking a few degrees north of west.
The line is about 3/4 mile long.
High tide at Fall River was at 11:01 am.
Fall River (where the Taunton River meets Mount Hope Bay) is about 5 miles to the north (right of the photo.)
The tide is going out right to left and the curve in the line does correspond the to deeper water in the channel going into the Sakonnet River to our left. The line was moving right to left with the outgoing tide. I think I would be correct in saying that the curve in the line was caused by the faster current in the channel?
The Sakonnet River isn't really a river. It is a tidal strait about 14 miles long leading to the open ocean.
The wind was blowing from the west at about 10 knots.
The air temperature was 28 degrees F.
The water temperature at Fall River was 36 degrees F.
I can understand why ice might form on the surface of the water in conditions like these. If I were sailing I would expect to see ice forming on the deck and lines of my Laser.
But why does it form in a line like this?
Posted by Tillerman at 5:37 PM