Pattern of inclusions inside rippled icicles

TL;DR

This study investigates the internal inclusion patterns within rippled icicles, revealing organized impurity structures and their relation to ripple formation, providing new insights into the morphological instability mechanism.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed analysis of internal impurity inclusions and their organization in rippled icicles, linking internal patterns to surface ripple formation.

Findings

Impurities form chevron patterns aligned with ripples

Inclusions include crescent-shaped substructures

Crystal grain structure varies with impurities

Abstract

Icicles that have grown from slightly impure water develop ripples around their circumference. The ripples have a near-universal wavelength and are thought to be the result of a morphological instability. Using laboratory-grown icicles and various species of impurities, including fluorescent dye, we show that a certain fraction of the impurities remain trapped inside the icicle, forming inclusions within the ice. The inclusions are organized into chevron patterns aligned with the peaks of the ripples. Within the chevrons, a substructure of crescent-shaped structures is observed. We also examine the crystal grain structure of laboratory icicles, with and without impurities. We present the first detailed study of these growth patterns in the interior of icicles, and discuss their implications for the mechanism of the ripple-forming instability.