# What are these circles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 14, 2006, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-circles/376434 "2006-10-14T15:50:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-circles/376434/1 "2006-10-14T15:50:18Z")
Can anyone speculate on what might have caused these circles to form in the water? No one seems to find them even interesting, and I think they’re fascinating. How did this happen? Has anyone else seen anything like this? Does it / do they have a name? [here](http://youtube.com/watch?v=xsDq_8_19PA) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-circles/376434/2 "2006-10-14T16:24:48Z")
Lots of speculation in this thread: [What are these slush circles on the surface of the water?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=305983&highlight=circles+lake) We never reached any solid conclusions, but I’m leaning towards the interaction of waves with a shallow, irregular, rocky bottom. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-circles/376434/3 "2006-10-14T16:51:32Z")
I would assume that as waves crash against the shore and snow imbankments, reflected wavelets would come back in all directions. Slush would pile upfrom the outside. Just as a bubble is an imperfect sphere, balancing air pressure inside with surface tension, these circles are a similar manifestation of snow covered water surface. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-circles/376434/4 "2006-10-14T17:16:42Z")
Frozen jellyfish. Once they thaw out, they’re okay. Nah, just kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-circles/376434/5 "2006-10-15T01:17:46Z")
[It’s called pancake ice.](http://ice-glaces.ec.gc.ca/WsvPageDsp.cfm?ID=10992&Lang=eng) ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-circles/376434/6 "2006-10-15T01:24:19Z")
[QUOTE=CC] Has anyone else seen anything like this? [/QUOTE] Oh - and to answer your other question, yes, I’ve seen it a lot. I’ve been trained to perform ice rescue on the Great Lakes, and I served a few years on a small ice breaking tug in Maine, so I’ve seen _all kinds_ of ice. I love that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2006, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-circles/376434/7 "2006-10-15T10:50:16Z")
[QUOTE=Scruloose] [It’s called pancake ice.](http://ice-glaces.ec.gc.ca/WsvPageDsp.cfm?ID=10992&Lang=eng) [/QUOTE] From link > [@](#): > > It also sometimes forms at some depth at an interface between water bodies of different physical characteristics where it floats to the surface. Physics is a strange mo fo!