Weird Ice Column

[Lyn-M]

A friend has sent this picture (and given her permission for me to post it on here). She describes it thus: "I always have a saucer of water out for the birds. It froze overnight last night and this weird ice column is rising from it. It is hollow in the middle."

She (and I) would love to have an explanation of why this may have happened. She lives in north Hampshire and her garden is quite large and surrounded by open countryside. If anyone can help, we would both be grateful. If you need any further information, please let me know.

[Hiya]

Possibly, as the water froze from the edges towards the middle the expanding ice bulged the water in the center, which froze on the outside and continued to be pushed upwards until there was none left, leaving the middle hollow.

[Lyn-M]

Thanks, Hiya...I'll pass that on later this morning.