A cone of ice suddenly throws water into the air. It looks like a miniature eruption, which explains the name “ice volcano.” Along the Great Lakes, these temporary formations can turn a winter shoreline into a surprisingly active scene. The engine is moving water beneath and beside the ice.
Waves supply the energy
Michigan Technological University’s observations describe waves reaching the edge of a developing ice shelf and forcing water through openings. In freezing conditions, splash and slush can accumulate around an outlet, helping a cone grow. Subsequent waves may send another burst through the same passage.
These are wave-driven lake features, rather than volcanoes connected to magma. The whole lake does not need to freeze over first. Indeed, moving water and sufficient wave action are central to the process being described.
Why the cones do not all look alike
The shape depends on where water finds an opening and how material builds around it. Some cones have a clear central hole; others look uneven or partly open towards the lake. A row can give the shore a repetitive pattern, while one isolated mound may be easy to mistake for ordinary piled snow.
In the photographs, light changes the appearance almost as much as shape. A grey-day spray blends into the background. At sunset, the same kind of water plume catches warm colour and becomes the brightest part of the frame.
Keep the view from solid ground
A hollow cone and a shore ice shelf are not reliable walking surfaces. The visible crust can conceal water and gaps. Observe from a suitable land-based position and follow local closures; climbing onto a cone for a closer photograph defeats the reason it is interesting in the first place—the water is still active beneath it.
For another Great Lakes ice pattern created by movement, see Dawn LaPointe’s Lake Superior ice-stacking film. For ice built by water freezing against coastal rock, explore the Apostle Islands ice caves. The results look very different, but each begins with the changing relationship between water, cold and place.
The lake bed helps determine where cones appear
Michigan Technological University’s observations connect ice-cone development with shoreline shape, sand bars and rock reefs. These features influence where waves rise and concentrate energy near the forming ice shelf. That helps explain why cones can occur in a line or arc rather than being scattered uniformly wherever the air is cold.
The researchers also distinguish cones at the advancing edge of the shelf from outlets that remain active farther within it. As ice extends outward, water can still be forced through an existing passage. A cone surrounded by ice therefore does not imply that the water underneath is motionless or that the entire lake has frozen solid.
These are observations of a variable shoreline process, not universal dimensions for every “ice volcano”. The useful comparison is between the outlet, the accumulated frozen spray and the waves supplying new material. The volcanic name describes the resemblance of the form and its bursts; magma and geological eruption are not involved. Viewing the formations from an appropriate shore position is a way to appreciate that process without treating a hollow cone or shelf as dependable ground.
Sources, photography and further reading
Original feature and image attributions:
- Jack Pal
- Majikphil
- Lisa A. Lehmann
- Andrew McFarlane
- eurypterids.net
- Weather Notebook
- Porcupine Mountains
- Amusing Planet
- Top 10 Stunning Volcanoes Around the World
- Wingsuit Flying Over Active Volcanoes in Indonesia
- Kawah Ijen, The Volcano That Spews Blue Flames
- Mind-Bending 3D Beach Art By NZ Artist Jamie Harkins
- From Volcano Peaks to Endangered Kiwis in Diverse Tongariro Park, New Zealand
- Michigan Technological University’s observations
- Dawn LaPointe’s Lake Superior ice-stacking film
- the Apostle Islands ice caves
Current reference information, checked 15 September 2026:
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