Scientist intrigued by strange ice formation spotted outside of Winnipeg

A University of Manitoba scientist explains the likely cause of an ice formation on Pipeline Road in Winnipeg.

An ice formation spotted just north of Winnipeg has baffled a Manitoba researcher and scientist.

The formation, found on Pipeline Road, was submitted to CTV Winnipeg by viewer Andy Scrivens, who said he had never seen anything like it before in the city.

It’s also something new to David Babb, a sea ice researcher at the University of Manitoba.

“I’ve lived in Winnipeg my whole life, and I don’t recall seeing ice like this before. It’s quite beautiful,” he said.

Babb believes the crystalized ice formations formed likely due to wind.

“This is just thin ice that likely formed on top of this pond, kind of overnight, and then at some point that ice was disturbed and broke apart,” he said. “Some of the pieces were compressed against each other, either by winds or maybe there’s other ice moving in.”

Babb said ridging and rafting, where ice piles on top of each other, is key to ice thickness, especially in sea ice, and said some of it occurred in this situation.

“What’s really interesting about this is that these sheets are so thin they’re not crumbling, and they’re sticking up almost completely vertically,” he said.

Babb said the wind is key, but it likely wasn’t strong, as the ice would’ve simply broken.

-With files from CTV’s Milan Lukes