Viewing Rime Ice on Dadingzi Mountain

Viewing Rime Ice on Dadingzi Mountain

Viewing Rime Ice on Dadingzi Mountain

Rime ice, commonly known as "tree hangings," is a common sight in the north and a type of natural phenomenon similar to frost that can be observed during the northern winter. It is a beautiful icy spectacle. It forms when countless fog droplets below zero degrees Celsius but not yet frozen accumulate and freeze onto objects such as tree branches, resulting in white, opaque granular sediment deposits.

Therefore, the rime ice phenomenon is very common in northern China and also frequently seen in high-altitude areas of the south, as long as there are supercooled water droplets in the fog.

Historical Records

The Song Dynasty poet Zeng Gong wrote in his poem "Winter Night Activities": “The incense fades, the felt rug warms the couch; the moon dims, a thousand gates shiver in rime’s cold touch. I’ve heard a bountiful year begins from this—so back I turn the lantern’s flame to peer and clutch.” He further noted: “In Qi, the cold is severe; night vapors turn to fog, condensing on trees. At dawn, it looks like snow. When the sun rises, it drifts across steps and courtyards, especially lovely. The people of Qi call it rime ice. A proverb says: ‘Rime ice upon rime ice, the poor man sets his rice aside.’ It’s seen as an omen of a bumper harvest.”

The people of the Song Dynasty called it “rime ice” and “regarded it as an omen of a bumper harvest.” This belief likely originated from the ancient name for rime ice, “tree crops.”

Formation Principle

When supercooled water droplets (temperatures below zero) collide with objects that are also below freezing, rime ice forms. When the droplets are so small that they freeze instantly upon contact with an object, a layer or deposit of rime ice is created.

The rime ice layer consists of tiny ice particles with air pockets between them, resulting in the typical white appearance and granular structure. Because the rapid freezing of individual supercooled water droplets leads to weak cohesion between adjacent ice particles, the rime easily breaks off from the surface it's attached to. Rime ice most commonly forms on mountaintops surrounded by supercooled clouds, and it is also a common frozen form on eaves. In cold weather, steam from springs, rivers, lakes, or ponds can also create rime ice.

Rime ice is a widely admired natural beauty, but it can sometimes become a natural disaster. Severe rime ice can sometimes break power lines or trees, causing damage.

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