195 Items Tagged

Ice

An artist's rendering of NASA's Europa Clipper passing over the ice-covered moon Europa as it orbits Jupiter. The spacecraft is scheduled to reach Jupiter in 2030.

How Many Other Oceans Exist in Our Solar System?

Some of the moons orbiting Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus may hide deep saltwater expanses beneath their icy crusts.

Robin George Andrews March 18, 2025

A fish sits on the edge of a hole cut through the ice of Bass Lake in Minnesota's Superior National Forest.

Ice Fishing in the Time of Climate Change

Wide swings in winter temperature delay ice formation on Midwest lakes, turning a beloved pastime into a dangerous game.

Kristoffer Tigue January 27, 2025

Enjoy stunning winter vistas on horseback at Saddleback Ranch

Not Your Average Snow Day: 8 Wild Ways to Experience Winter Fun in Colorado

Turn up the thrill with these unconventional winter adventures.

Sponsored by Visit Colorado

Bear 409, “Beadnose,” a sow that won Fat Bear Week in 2018. GIS specialist Joel Cusick is pioneering a new technique for calculating the bears’ weight that doesn’t disrupt their normal activity.

Fat Bears and 5 Other Stories of Preparing for Winter

From big-bottomed ants to gorging on salmon, there are plenty of ways to be ready for the cold months ahead.

Roxanne Hoorn November 15, 2024

Delta Junction, Alaska

Castner Glacier Ice Cave

An icy behemoth that towers over you with a blue ice cave in the winter and a roaring creek in the summer.

Ilulissat, Greenland

Ilulissat Icefjord Center

A remote Arctic museum focusing on the science of icebergs and the archaeology of an ancient Inuit settlement which lies just outside its doors.

Fruit, herbs, and flowers can make ice both tasty and pretty.

Fancy Ice Is Art in Your Glass

From perfectly clear cubes to flower and fruit fillings, here’s how to level up your ice.

Anne Ewbank October 7, 2024

McMurdo Ice Pier

McMurdo Station, Antarctica

McMurdo Ice Pier

This pier made of ice and constructed over the Antarctic winter is used when the resupply cargo ships arrive in summer.

McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Observation Tube

A vertical tube that allows you to see what's going on underneath the Antarctic sea ice.

Each air bubble says so much about life and death on Earth.

Gas Trapped in Antarctic Ice Recorded the Mass Death of 56 Million People

Plagues, war, and genocide were literally frozen in time.

Meg St-Esprit March 14, 2024

Niter Ice Caves

Niter Ice Cave

A lava tube cooled to form this long tunnel that stays chilly even at the height of summer.

Captain Heather Friedli puts the final touches on Team Kwe's sculpture, "Wenabozho and Dadibaajimad Journey on the River of Souls."

This Team of Indigenous Women Sculpts Stories in Snow

Team Kwe honors their Anishinaabe roots in the art and sport of snow sculpting.

Roxanne Hoorn February 1, 2024

Diamond Beach

A black sand beach where glacial fragments wash ashore and look like sparkling diamonds.

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

The Atlas Obscura Crossword: Ice to See You

AO Puzzles January 22, 2024

One of nine ice patches released objects from 6200–5300 years ago.

Unusual Boxes and 7,000-Year-Old Trove Found Locked in Ice

Along with obsidian that dazzled scientists in Canada.

Meg St-Esprit December 12, 2023

Herds of glacier mice, which are actually moss balls, move in concert across the ice.

Herds of Mysterious ‘Glacier Mice’ Baffle Scientists

These moss balls move in unison, and researchers are okay with not knowing why.

Roxanne Hoorn December 7, 2023

Lake City, Colorado

Lake City Ice Park

These towering cliffs crystalize each winter, forming sheer walls of ice that are open for climbing.

Heinabergslón

A little-known, yet charming glacial lagoon.