A unusual collection of “ice eggs” has been discovered in Finland, a phenomena that specialists believe only occurs under extremely specific conditions.
Risto Mattila, who snapped the eggs, said he and his wife were walking along Hailuoto island’s Marjaniemi beach on Sunday when they noticed the frosty balls covering a 30-metre (98-foot) stretch of beachfront.
“The largest egg was almost the size of a football,” Mattila, an amateur photographer, said. “It was an incredible view.” I’ve never seen something like this before.” According to Jouni Vainio, an ice specialist at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the event is rare but might occur once a year given the correct climatic circumstances.
“You need the proper air temperature (below zero, but only slightly), the right water temperature (around freezing point), a shallow and gently sloping sandy beach, quiet waves, and maybe a little surge,” he explained.
“You also need something to serve as the center. The core begins to build ice around it, and the surge propels it forward and back down the beach. A little spherical surface becomes wet, freezes, and becomes larger and larger.”
According to Dr. James Carter, retired professor of geography-geology at Illinois State University, autumn is the best season to witness the phenomena since this is when ice begins to build on the surface of the water, generating a sort of slush when carried by waves.