Anomalous convective flows carve pinnacles and scallops in melting ice

Abstract

We report on the shape dynamics of ice suspended in cold fresh water and subject to the natural convective flows generated during melting. Experiments reveal shape motifs for increasing far-field temperature: Sharp pinnacles directed downward at low temperatures, scalloped waves for intermediate temperatures between 5 and 7 • C, and upward pointing pinnacles at higher temperatures. Phase-field simulations reproduce these morphologies, which are closely linked to the anomalous density-temperature profile of liquid water. Boundary layer flows yield pinnacles that sharpen with accelerating growth of tip curvature while scallops emerge from a Kelvin-Helmholtz-like instability caused by counterflowing currents that roll up to form vortex arrays. These results show how the molecular-scale effects underlying water's density anomaly are imprinted at macro-scales on melting ice through intricate flows.