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sl8

(13,748 posts)
Tue Dec 25, 2018, 11:32 AM Dec 2018

Skating on thin ice.



Hear the Otherworldly Sounds of Skating on Thin Ice | National Geographic
National Geographic

Published on Feb 9, 2018
This small lake outside Stockholm, Sweden, emits otherworldly sounds as Mårten Ajne skates over its precariously thin, black ice. “Wild ice skating,” or “Nordic skating,” is both an art and a science. A skater seeks out the thinnest, most pristine black ice possible—both for its smoothness, and for its high-pitched, laser-like sounds.
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Black ice is recently frozen, and can be as thin as 2 inches and still support the weight of a skater. Like a dome or arch, the support comes from the sides rather than the top, and the water underneath prevents the ice from breaking. But, experience and careful advance planning are key. Factors including temperature, atmospheric conditions, and even satellite images of the Earth’s surface are considered. It’s complicated, but appealing to mathematicians like Ajne. Even with preparation, there’s a risk of falling in… So it’s best done in groups, for safety.

Read about the science behind Nordic skating in "How Skating on Thin Ice Creates Laser-Like Sounds"
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/activities/winter-sports/skating-thin-black-ice-creates-sound-nordic-spd/

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Skating on thin ice. (Original Post) sl8 Dec 2018 OP
Cool and beautiful, thanks for posting! Merlot Dec 2018 #1
Nope localroger Dec 2018 #2
Thanks, fixed link. n/t sl8 Dec 2018 #4
That seems preposterously dangerous and dumb. Ferrets are Cool Dec 2018 #3

localroger

(3,626 posts)
2. Nope
Tue Dec 25, 2018, 02:39 PM
Dec 2018

Those beautifull sounds are the sound of... the ice cracking. From another article (the one linked is 404) "High C is the note that signals the ice is about to collapse." Nope nope nope nope.

Ferrets are Cool

(21,106 posts)
3. That seems preposterously dangerous and dumb.
Tue Dec 25, 2018, 02:41 PM
Dec 2018

So best done in groups? Then, when the "group" can't save him/her and they have to call professionals for help, they put THEM in danger just for their thrills.
But then again, it is done all the time by thrill seekers, so I guess more power to them.

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