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Using ice to boil water: Researcher makes heat transfer discovery that expands on 18th century principle

Researchers found that levitating ice requires a significantly higher temperature threshold than liquid water, with the meltwater layer creating a temperature differential that consumes most of the surface's heat. This results in a larger temperature window for boiling, leading to better heat transfer compared to using a liquid alone.

SourceVirginia Tech·JournalPhysical Review Fluids·DateJan 21, 2022

Evidence of superionic ice provides new insights into the unusual magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune

Researchers have created superionic ice phases XVIII and XX by subjecting water to record-breaking pressures and temperatures. The study provides insights into the formation of these conductive forms of ice and their potential role in explaining the mysterious magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune.

SourceGFZ GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Helmholtz Centre·JournalNature Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 14, 2021

How ‘ice needles’ weave patterns of stones in frozen landscapes

Researchers discovered that ice needles growing on frozen ground can push up rocks into regular patterns through a combination of experiments and computer modeling. Over time, stones cluster together, leaving bare patches stone-free, as the size of the stones, soil moisture, and ice needle growth interact.

SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 6, 2021

UCI, NASA JPL scientists uncover additional threat to Antarctica’s floating ice shelves

Researchers at UCI and NASA JPL found that a thinning of the ice melange, a slushy concoction of windblown snow, iceberg debris, and frozen seawater, is a major driver of ice shelf collapse. The study revealed that melange thinning can lead to rapid retreat of Antarctica's ice shelves.

SourceUniversity of California - Irvine·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 27, 2021

Getting to the bottom of Arctic landslides

Scientists from CNRS and Melnikov Permafrost Institute conduct cold room simulation to demonstrate permafrost's role in soil collapse. Heterogeneous frozen soils with vertical ice wedges undergo major deformation during thawing, accelerating subsidence and greenhouse gas release.

SourceCNRS·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateDec 8, 2020

Unique structural fluctuations at ice surface promote autoionization of water molecules

Scientists have found that hydrate protons on the ice surface are generated through autoionization of water molecules, leading to a significant enhancement in proton activity. This discovery has implications for understanding various phenomena such as charge generation and ozone layer destruction.

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalThe Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters·DateMar 30, 2020

A close look at thin ice

Researchers have discovered a novel mechanism of ice growth in two dimensions, shedding light on the atomic structure of low-dimensional water. This finding may lead to the development of new materials for efficient ice removal, particularly for wind turbines and other applications.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania·JournalNature·DateJan 2, 2020

Scientists probe the limits of ice

Researchers found that the transition between ice and water breaks down at the nanoscale, with clusters oscillating between solid and liquid states. The study provides new insights into the conditions necessary for ice formation and has implications for understanding climate regulation and life viability.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 4, 2019

Circulation of water in deep Earth's interior

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery about the deep Earth's interior, determining the phase boundary for the transportation of water. The new phase H MgSiO4H2 has been identified and its decomposition process explained, shedding light on the complex geodynamics at play.

SourceEhime University·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateAug 19, 2019

How antifreeze proteins stop ice cold

Researchers at the University of Utah and University of California, San Diego discovered how antifreeze proteins function, providing a direction for future research. The study found that AFPs prevent water from freezing by surrounding and binding to small ice crystals, preventing their spread.

The shapes of water

Researchers at Arizona State University have observed a previously unseen property of water, where it changes from one liquid to another under super-cooling and specific conditions. This phenomenon, known as a liquid-liquid phase transition, was only seen in computer simulations until now.

SourceArizona State University·JournalScience·DateMar 8, 2018

How ice in clouds is born

Scientists have found that water droplets in clouds can turn to ice more rapidly than previously predicted, with a disordered ice structure forming under certain cloud conditions. This discovery reconciles theoretical models of clouds with observations of freezing rates, helping cloud modelers understand better their observational data.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalNature·DateNov 8, 2017

Probing exotic ices

Researchers analyzed how water molecules interact with one another in three types of ice, finding that interactions depend strongly on molecule orientation and ice structure. Insights from this analysis will help understand liquid water and its behavior surrounding biomolecules.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalThe Journal of Chemical Physics·DateOct 10, 2017

Scientists make 'squarest' ice crystals ever

Researchers at Ohio State University have created ice crystals with near-perfect cubic arrangement of water molecules, a form of ice that may exist in high-altitude clouds. The ability to study cubic ice in the lab could improve computer models of climate change and enhance our understanding of water.

SourceOhio State University·JournalThe Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters·DateJul 10, 2017

Water exists as two different liquids

Researchers at Stockholm University have found that water can exist as two different liquids at low temperatures, with large differences in structure and density. The discovery was made possible through experimental studies using X-rays, which revealed the existence of these two liquid phases.

SourceStockholm University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 26, 2017

Why planes freeze

A new model developed by researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University provides a fuller understanding of supercooled large droplet icing mechanisms. The model identifies a different icing mechanism than previously identified and incorporates heat generated from impact thermodynamics.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalPhysics of Fluids·DateJun 21, 2016

What makes penguin feathers ice-proof

Researchers found that Humboldt penguins' unique feather structure is anti-adhesive and hydrophobic, preventing ice from accumulating. The discovery led to the creation of a nanofiber membrane with similar properties, which could be used in applications like electrical insulation.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalThe Journal of Physical Chemistry C·DateFeb 24, 2016

New surfaces delay ice formation

Researchers create biphilic surface that repels water in some areas and attracts it in others, delaying frost formation even at 6 degrees below freezing. The unique condensation dynamics on the surface cause small droplets to merge and release energy, delaying freezing for over 3 hours.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateOct 6, 2015