PANCAKE ICE
Pancake Ice occurs when winds pick up and waves increase, breaking the ice sheets into pieces. The wave action chips and forms the ice into circles like pancakes. The circular formations dot the lake, creating a patchwork of pancakes.
ICE BALLS
Ice balls form in a similar manner to pancake ice, but these are found on the shoreline. Chunks of ice break off ice sheets and the waves roll them along the shore over and over, smoothing them into spheres. These spheres can range in size of marbles to large boulders.
ICE VOLCANOES
It s not lava shooting out of these volcanoes, but water. These ice volcanoes start small but can grow quickly. As water is pushed under the ice sheet, pressure builds and water shoots out through holes in the ice. That water spray freezes forming cones. The cones grow and can reach as high as 25 feet.
ABC7 Chicago Meteorologist Cheryl Scott explains the winter wonder.
Earlier this week, ice pancakes formed in Lake Michigan right along the Chicago shoreline.
This occurs when near to below freezing temperatures settle into the region when the water temperature is just above freezing, Scott said. This results in a thin layer of ice and slush.
Due to the swirling movement of the water, the ice breaks apart and forms into circular disks. As these disks bang into each other, it helps form their outer ridge.