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Although many people do not think about Ice as a mineral, it is in fact a mineral just as much as Quartz is. It is a naturally occurring substance with a defined chemical formula and crystal structure, thus making it a legitimate mineral. The only consideration not to consider it a mineral is the fact that it is not stable at room temperature.
All Ice is colorless, unless impure. Flaws and cracks cause it to be white. Snow is colorless, but the reflections of its crystal sides cause it to look white. Snow has a most interesting crystal form. Each one forms with hexagonal shapes, often with intriguing and interesting shapes. No two Snow crystals are alike. Snow crystals cling together to form snowflakes.
Hailstones are formed in thunderclouds, where small water particles are tossed about from the wind, accumulating layers of Ice. When the Hailstones get heavy and can no longer remain suspended in a cloud, they fall to the earth. Hailstones up to 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter have fallen in certain regions.
Glaciers are formed when snow fails to melt and accumulates, and eventually starts "flowing" downhill like a river. When a moving glacier reaches a body of water, it forms Icebergs, or floating "mountains" of compressed snow.
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- Spongy mass of Ice formed in flowing streams.
- Dew that freezes and forms crystals of Ice.
- Moving mass of compressed snow and Ice that flows down a mountain.
- Coating of Ice over other material. Glaze is formed during freezing rain storms, when the ice forms a sparkling layer over trees, telephone wires, etc.
- Rounded pellet of Ice containing alternating layers of snow and solid ice.
- Mountain of solid Ice that breaks away from a landmass and floats in the ocean. Iceberg masses are 9/10ths below the water.
- Form of Ice that accumulates as non-liquid precipitation.
- Individual snow crystal. Forms as in small,
perfect, hexagonal crystals.
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There are no minerals similar to Ice.
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Have a question about Ice? Visit our Q&A Community and ask the experts!
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