ice cave

ice cave
a cave containing ice that remains unmelted during all or most of the year.
[1895-1900]

* * *

      cavity in ice or an underground cave that has permanent ice deposits. The two types of ice cave are wholly unrelated.

      The first type of ice cave is formed by meltwater streams carving labyrinths in the bases of glaciers or by streams and wind hollowing out tunnels in snowfields. These usually have scalloped, translucent walls that transmit a blue light.

      The second type of ice cave occurs either when frigid winter air settles into downward-leading caverns where it cannot be forced out or when moisture freezes in currents of cold air. Frozen lakes, icicles, and ice draperies are common formations. Helictite-like icicles also form where air currents deflect the freezing water. The splendid ice deposits formed in the lava caves of the northwestern United States are dwarfed by the limestone ice-cave systems of the Alps. The Eisriesenwelt (“Ice Giant World”) in Austria exhibits a frozen landscape that extends 42 km (26.1 miles).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ice cave — must have traveled into the cave’s cold zone.The term ice cave is often used to describe a cavity formed within ice, which is properly called a glacier cave.Temperature MechanismsBedrock caves are thermally insulated from the surface, so commonly …   Wikipedia

  • ice cave — noun 1. : a cave so protected from the summer heat that ice remains in it throughout all or most of the year 2. : a cave or tunnel in ice; especially : one formed in a glacier by meltwater streams * * * a cave containing ice that remains unmelted …   Useful english dictionary

  • ice cave — underground cave that was formed by ice, cave that contains ice …   English contemporary dictionary

  • ice cave —    1. Any cave in rock that is partly filled with ice. The term should not be applied to glacier caves. The ice may form in massive icicles and flows, when percolation water from unfrozen rock seeps into a cave containing freezing air drawn in… …   Lexicon of Cave and Karst Terminology

  • Dobšinská Ice Cave — Dobšinská Ice Cave * UNESCO World Heritage Site Country …   Wikipedia

  • Canyon Creek Ice Cave — Canyon Creek Ice Cave, also known as Bragg Creek Ice Cave or Moose Mountain Ice Cave, is a small ice cave in limestone located in Kananaskis Country near the community of Bragg Creek, Alberta, Canada. Known to natives through prehistory, its… …   Wikipedia

  • Demänovská Ice Cave — Demänová Ice Cave Demänovská Ice Cave or Demänovská ľadová jaskyňa (in Slovak) is an ice cave in the Demänovská Valley (Low Tatra) in Slovakia. It was first mentioned in 1299 and is one of oldest known caves in Europe. After the opening of… …   Wikipedia

  • Niter Ice Cave — The Niter Ice Cave is a geological feature approximately 3 miles south of the small southeastern town of Grace, Idaho. History The most probable explanation for the Niter Ice Cave is that thousands of years ago, a volcanic eruption formed a huge… …   Wikipedia

  • Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve — Coordinates: 43°18′58″N 91°46′37″W / 43.316°N 91.777°W / 43.316; 91.777 Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve …   Wikipedia

  • Cave — For other uses, see Cave (disambiguation). Cavern redirects here. For other uses, see Cavern (disambiguation). Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”