# Spikecicles?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spikecicles/58746>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 20, 2001, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spikecicles/58746 "2001-03-20T18:09:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SandWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@SandWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandWriter)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spikecicles/58746/1 "2001-03-20T18:09:06Z")

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Hey SDMB’ers

I’ve read all the articles on ice, warm water freezing faster than cold water, etc. and haven’t found any articles relating to my latest observations.

Spikes on top of ice-cubes. I am using a standard ice tray, purified water (via reverse osmosis), and a defrost free freezer. The spikes appear on one to three cubes and are about 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch tall and an 1/8th of an inch thick.

I was able to get some pictures, but can’t post them. I’m working on getting them up on a web site. Maybe someone could respond and I’ll send them to that person and that person could post them somewhere. Just to make things complicated. 🙂

One wild theory is that it is some sort of reverse sublimation during the defrost cycle of the freezer. Another wild ass guess is that the purified water is compressed in the middle, then breaks through the ice and instantly freezes due to a drop in pressure. What do you guys think? (in this case guys means girls too)

Thanks in advance for your help,  
-Sandwriter

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**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spikecicles/58746/2 "2001-03-20T20:11:11Z")

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I wish I had an answer for you. . .

There have been threads about this before. See [Ice cube stalagmites?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=8603) and [ice](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=58882).

Or better yet check out [Ice Stalagmites](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=27434). **RickG** posts a couple of links to pictures. See [this link](http://www.cambrian.com/icecubes/iceexplain.html) and [this one with a better picture](http://www.cambrian.com/icecubes/icecubes.html).

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spikecicles/58746/3 "2001-03-20T21:50:01Z")

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[Duplicate thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=64245)