Great Lakes Ice Volcanoes: How Waves Build Frozen Cones

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.