Physics question #1866
Q:I would like to know what causes inverted icicles. I have a photo I've just taken if you need to see it. Our puppy's water bowl outdoors has had several inverted icicles recently and I cant seem to find anything about them online.
the answer
A:
I did a quick google search at www.google.com on "ice stalagmites" and found a lot about this. There are many theories and much speculation but the one that seems the most likely has something to do with the mechanics of crystallization of water as it turns to ice. Appaerntly this phenomenon only happens in plastic containers. Details here: http://home.insightbb.com/~dishhead/spike2.txt
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