by 1 Cylivers
While many see these apparently perfect ice circles as worthy of conspiracy theorizing, scientists generally accept that they are formed by eddies in the water that spin a sizable piece of ice in a circular motion. As a result of this rotation, other pieces of ice and flotsam wear relatively evenly at the edges of the ice until it slowly forms into an essentially ideal circle. Ice circles have been seen with diameters of over 500 feet and can also at times be found in clusters and groups at different sizes as shown below.
Ice circles occur at bends in the river where the accelerating water creates a force called 'rotational shear', which breaks off a chunk of ice and twists it around. As the disc rotates, it grinds against surrounding ice - smoothing into a perfect circle.
Another kind of ice circle are actually ice pans, or surface slabs of ice that form in the center of a lake or creek, instead of along the water's edge. They can be explained by quick shifts in temperature. As water cools, it releases heat that turns the water into frazil ice – a collection of loose, needle shaped ice particles that can cluster together in an ice pan. If a lake accumulates enough frazil ice and the current is slow, over time, the pan can become a hanging dam – a dense, heavy piece of ice with high ridges and a low centre.
