This article was originally published on Kueez
With some of the coldest months of the year slowly approaching, there is nothing like the mystery and the beauty of winter to get us excited. For those of us who live in areas that get particularly cold during these months, we often get to see mother nature doing its thing, freezing everything around us in a powerful and incredible way. For those who don't get to experience winter's miracles, we decided to put together some of the most fascinating photos of frozen things from all over the world. From breathtaking images to strange and scary moments "frozen” in time, these beautiful images will surely make you appreciate the beauty of winter on an entirely different level.
1. Trapped Frozen Bubbles
How about some bubbles trapped below a source of water in ice? Now that’s certainly something we don’t see every day! Though this is a completely natural phenomenon, bubbles of highly-flammable methane freezing in iced-over water is always a mesmerizing sight during winter.
Interestingly, it is said that if someone “pops” one of these bubbles, a harmless explosion could occur. Of course, you'll have to travel to Lake Abraham in Alberta, Canada to find out for yourself.
2. A Ghost Ship
This ghost ship, known as the “Sunken Yacht”, was a Brazilian yacht that got completely wrecked somewhere around Ardley Cove in Antarctica. The yacht was populated with a Brazilian film crew that planned to film a documentary, but they were unfortunately knocked with strong winds and a sea storm.
The crew had to abandon the ship, and the ship was completely washed away, eventually freezing with time.
3. Frozen Stop Sign
Some pictures taken in the frozen ice look completely unreal, just like this one. In fact, without a caption, not anyone would be able to identify what is in this picture.
The frozen stop sign can be found in Russia when the temperature becomes way too cold for anything in the streets to remain intact. Hopefully, there are no drivers around this road, otherwise, things might get pretty dangerous.
4. Frog Who Got Frozen To The Top Of A Fence
Looks like this poor guy was just hopping around on top of a fence when he got caught in the middle of a snowstorm. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't prepared for the harsh winter and, sadly, that ended up being where he did his final hop.
While it is sad that this little frog froze to death, it's quite startling how the yellow skin manages to stay so bright and vibrant. It's certainly noticeable enough for someone to come along and give him a propper froggy burial.
5. A Huge Wall Of Ice
Not many things in this life are as mesmerizing as a wall of ice. If you like hiking, it might be really hard to find the motivation to do it during the really cold months, so getting up and putting those shoes on better be worth it when you decide to do so.
And if you’re lucky to live in a place that gets cold enough, it's definitely worth it to still go for that hike. You might be able to see a frozen waterfall like this one, showing the wonders of what our powerful Earth can do.
6. A Frozen Truck
Many people don’t realize how powerful a snowstorm can really be unless they’ve experienced it. In a single night, an entire layer of snow can cover and completely freeze something as big as a car, a truck, or even a house.
While it may be unfortunate, we have to say that the sight of this frozen truck is pretty magical, especially with the contrast of the blue sky and white ground.
7. Flower Buds In Ice
This picture was captured by someone who is lucky enough to live right next to an area full of wilderness landscapes. This photographer, for example, was mesmerized when they found young flowering buds completely frozen.
It seemed like the stunning buds were preserved in the ice while they waited for spring to arrive. As soon as the sun arrives, they should easily melt and blossom!
8. A Trail Of Frozen Flowers
It’s safe to say that amongst many things in nature, flowers are sadly some of the most affected during the cold weather.
Be it flowers, leaves, or entire trees, these natural beauties are often caught up in snowstorms and left frozen for us to appreciate. In this picture, we get to see the beauty of a trail of frozen flowers caught right after they got stuck in the ice.
9. Geysers Caught In A Snowstorm
Natural geysers are undeniably one of the most fascinating geographical anomalies ever. They can usually be found in the wilderness, where volcanic areas are either prevalent or close by.
Because of its volcanic characteristic, the water that comes out of these captivating visual treats is usually hot because of the high temperatures. When these temperatures breach the sub-zero surface, a frozen explosion takes place, resulting in the majestic geysers we see in this picture.
10. A Frozen Dragonfly
While nature can create stunning things, it is heartbreaking to see animals caught up in its frozen nature. Dragonflies are another animal that often gets caught up in snowstorms, with their tiny bodies and wings eventually ending up completely frozen.
At least, we are comforted with the fact that the animal is believed to exist for some 300,000 years by now.
11. A Trash Can That Didn’t Survive Winter
Though the cold weather manages to result in some pretty insane frozen objects sights, it also freezes the most unusual and random things. Like this trash can for example.
It got caught up in the storm so deeply that it became almost impossible to open the can. That is one of the reasons why many people decided to keep their trash inside during the coldest winter months, only taking it out when necessary.
12. A Spider Web Stopped In Time
Nature has its own way of creating some of the most amazing wonders out there, and this picture is proof of it. A spider web was somehow caught in the snowstorm but managed to remain intact.
What happened instead, was that the web became completely frozen, turning out into what looks like a piece of art in its natural form.
13. A Lighthouse Caught In Sub-Zero Temperatures
Lighthouses are often located close to the ocean, and this one is no exception. The stunning lighthouse can be found in Wisconsin, where the winter season can be really powerful.
When it’s cold enough, the chances of even large bodies of water becoming frozen are high, which sometimes results in the freezing of anything the water touched as well, such as this lighthouse. Because it was so cold, the air froze in place, and as time passed each wave brought moisture that eventually became ice.
14. A Cherry Tree Completely Iced
The first signs of spring usually come when we get to wake up and see fields of colorful flowers blooming in the most stunning forms. But that also usually means that winter is approaching, and a different kind of beauty is about to come.
When winter arrived, this cherry tree was caught up in an unexpected cold front and created this really cool looking cherry tree.
15. A Random Sesame Street Frozen Object
When winter gets really bad, it’s not uncommon for an entire town to be completely shut down until the winter storm calms down. Heaters are turned on full blast and the streets have hardly a single person.
Unfortunately for someone though, they forgot their Sesame Street toy outside, and the icy snow completely took over it resulting in a frozen happy toy.
16. Frozen Toilet Paper
Well, when we think about frozen things we’re pretty sure that the first thing that comes to our mind is not alwyas a toilet paper roll. We think of trees, cars, and anything that can be caught outside during a snowstorm.
Somehow though, this person’s toilet paper seems to have been caught up in the storm, and we’re unsure whether it’s possible at all to use it again once it defrosts.
17. The Plane On Ice
Crashed technology and objects are amongst the very strange and mesmerizing things scientists find in ice. This plane, for instance, is obviously not ancient but is old enough to get us all completely by surprise. The military plane crashed in 1953 when it was on the way to Anchorage, Alaska.
The plane sadly came a little bit short and crashed near a glacier killing 41 passengers and 11 crew members. Even more sadly though, the conditions in the area were so unsafe that rescue workers and the police weren't able to retrieve any of the plane's wreckage. It took some 50 years for the glacier to melt and allow a rescue team to finally approach it.
18. Bye Bye Staircase
Those who have watched the classic Titanic will probably feel some sense of familiarity once they see this picture. Not that it has anything to do with it, of course, but something about this frozen majestic staircase reminds us of Rose and Jack’s last moments of intense love.
Also, if you've heard the phrase “when hell freezes over”, then this might be familiar too. It totally looks like a frozen staircase to hell.
19. The “Glacier Fox”
We promise, not many images will be as daunting and sad as this one of a frozen fox. The unlucky animal fell into a river and drowned, becoming completely frozen along with the river itself.
The person who found the macabre image didn’t think that what he was seeing was possible. What’s even worse, is that animals being found frozen is not such an unusual sight in places where temperatures are way below zero. Especially tiny animals like foxes.
20. The Brains Of A Woolly Mammoth
Well, yes, you heard it right. This picture shows a woolly mammoth found by scientists in ice. This particular one is actually one of the only preserved species of a mammoth with an intact brain to this date.
The specimen is 39,000 years old but, unfortunately, scientists concluded that when the mammoth was caught in the storm, it was just a child (six to nine years old). So even though the poor animal made a resounding contribution to scientific research, it didn't live much.
21. A Fox In Solid Ice
Animal scientists find the most unusual things on ice, and they can range from ancient animals to the most contemporary ones. Take this poor fox for example.
Certain foxes can often get caught up in the frozen cold, with not enough heat and protection to prevent them from becoming frozen solid - especially in the Arctic conditions. This one, in particular, was found in a German lake and is now displayed in a German hotel.
22. A Frozen Alligator
Believe it or not, scientists sometimes find things that are not dead but are still completely frozen. This alligator, for example, was found by someone who thought it was dead due to its state and the cold ice that surrounded it. Apparently, though, some alligators have the “superpower” of surviving in ice for the duration of the entire winter.
For some reason, the alligator's psychology allows them to keep their internal organs preserved in the coldest frozen waters out there. In fact, they use this frozen stage as a period of temporary hibernation, allowing them to live through several months in these temperamental conditions.
23. A Fish Caught In The Cold
Now here’s an interesting finding. This fish was actually caught in the middle of its process of catching another fish, what are the odds? The water must have gotten cold so quickly, that neither of the fish had time to do anything but to freeze forever.
A fisherman in the area was able to retrieve the specimen and share it with his colleagues. His finding reminds us of the ongoing methods of predation taking place at its fullest, only this time someone was able to catch it in the moment.
24. The Dinosaur Mummy
Let’s be honest, some things found on ice are just scary! In fact, woolly mammoths are not the only ancient things found by scientists. These creepy dinosaur remains that are now found on display at a museum, were discovered by scientists during an excavation.
Its remains show that the dinosaur had unfortunately been caught up in a snowstorm, and ended up succumbing to the cold. This specific one, called the nodosaur, was found when it was about 110 million years old, meaning that it existed in the middle of the Cretaceous period. During this time, predation was pretty intense, and the animals that managed to survive had to grow spikes and armor to defend themselves.
25. Another Woolly Mammoth
We don’t know about you, but Woolly Mammoths are easily some of the most majestic and beautiful ancient animals to ever exist. The prehistoric woolly beast used to exist in the lands of the Arctic in several places like Siberia and Alaska.
One mammoth specimen that was found recently was resurrected from an ice tomb in Siberia, dating some 39,000 years of age. The specimen was so well conserved that scientists defined it as one of the most well-preserved mammoths in history. Surprisingly, the fossil was found still with its muscle and blood tissue completely intact.
26. Remembering The Dive
It’s so sad to think that these birds were simply trying to find their daily meal when they were caught up in ice-cold water, and ended up frozen. Sadly, the sharp dive actually resulted in a deep freeze that was just too shocking to their bodies, preventing any hope for recovery.
The sterling specimens featured in the picture were found in Wesendorf, Northern Bavaria. The frozen kingfishers are now on display at a museum, reminding us just how dangerous the cold weather can be.
27. Ice Age Puppies Frozen
Some frozen things found are a little bit closer to home! Scientists managed to locate an ice age puppy frozen in the ice, and they were lucky to find it really well preserved. The cold had allowed it to stay as preserved as possible, though researchers suspect that the animal was 12,460 years old.
In this picture, they show the frozen ice age puppy’s teeth found in the deep Siberian tundra. The find was so phenomenal that it has caused many researchers to reconsider the history of the relationship between dogs and people, seeing that it goes this far back. Interestingly enough, when scientists stumbled upon it they were actually looking for mammoth tusks but were unsuccessful.
28. A Sign Of The Frozen Vikings
During one of their long excursions on ice, scientists also managed to find an incredible trace of the Vikings. Norwegian scientists found Viking gear, like the one pictured here, lost in several glaciers. They found sticks, a Viking boat, arrows and bows, and even a couple of leather parts from shoes.
This was all found in the vast territory of Juvfonna, Norway, and it was believed that the materials were 3,400-years-old. But arguably one of the most interesting pieces were the reindeer traps, usually described as bound sticks that would make a trap that would allow them to capture the reindeer more easily.
29. ‘Bloody’ Falls Glacier
Several mysterious and unexplained things happen in Antarctica, especially when the cold begins freezing everything in the glaciers. For example, one of these weird sights includes the spooky flow in this picture that looks like blood.
In reality, however, it's just a lot of iron-rich water that was eventually named "Blood Falls" glacier due to its color and texture. Though it’s not clear where the iron comes from, it sure results in quite the site. According to scientists, the "bloody-like" substance is believed to be a mix of particles from the ocean, rock, and glacier ice.
30. Old Frozen Forests
As the glaciers continue advancing during the wintertime, they eventually begin crushing every single thing that is found in their way. This has a name, it’s called sediment moraine. This particular event can actually serve as a cushion for some of the things that the glacier would eventually crush on its way to collapsing.
This is not found everywhere though, only in certain forests. Basically, the glacier doesn't uproot the trees or destroy the forest, instead, a layer of non-abrasive material is enabled by the moraine. That results in the forest beneath it continuing to exist in peace.
31. A Copper Arrowhead
Now here is something we hadn’t seen yet, frozen weapons. This copper arrowhead was found within a bunch of ice patches, showing evidence of its ancient beginnings.
An interesting fact is that the weapon was created by people who understood metallurgy, dating back to a time where modernity and certain developments already existed. In other words, humans had created these materials for efficient hunting, only continuing to evolve since then.
32. Bacteria Preserved By The Ice
You might be wondering by now, how does ice preserve so many materials? Well, it’s because the ice-cold manages to prevent bacteria and any other decomposers from penetrating whatever is being preserved.
That is why several sections of the Arctic are so cold that they are completely deprived of oxygen, and if they do manage to function, they don’t do so at the same rate in warmer climates.
33. A Devastating White War
War is one of the most devastating things in the history of humankind, and unfortunately, there is tons of evidence of how heartbreaking it can be. This picture is one of them. These soldiers from WWI were found in the ice, showcasing the consequences of the battles that were fought really high up in the Alps.
Many soldiers succumbed to the frigid temperatures and were left there. In fact, the temperatures were sometimes so bad that many of the people who fought in those conditions would end up dying because of the cold, and not the war directly. Because of the freezing temperatures, the bodies remained preserved throughout the decades.
34. People From The Past Found In The Alps
Unfortunately, soldiers haven’t been the only people found on ice over the years. Several people have suffered similar fates, and scientists found a little bit more about this recently. Scientists and anthropologists found a body on ice that is about 300 years old, but it was preserved in ways that it wouldn’t have been if it wasn’t on the ice.
It was discovered that the body was an ancestor to the First Nations people, which scientists named the "Long Ago Man". When he was found, he was wearing a robe made from skins that combined ninety-five pelts, a fur coat, a walking stick, and several scales of a fish in his pocket. It's safe to say that whenever the man lived, he was pretty well off.
35. Tons Of Frozen Spears
Several other human implements have continued to be found in the ice over the years. In Yellowstone, an area where no signs of humans have been found for centuries, a spear that dates 10,300 years was surprisingly found.
The spear is believed to have been used to hunt and kill the local fauna back then, and in Yellowstone in particular, that includes bison and elk, and a wolf or two. One of the most important facts about the finding was that it revealed the human presence in a place that wasn't so obvious. In fact, no one expected humans living in the cold Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming climate back in the days.
36. The Otzi Ice Man
Okay, we know it’s getting creepier, but hang in there. This Otzi Man is one of the most famous human discoveries of a human in the snow. The body is of a 5,300-year-old man, who was found alone in the Alps between Italy and Austria. It was found that he is a genetic ancestor to several people from the Austrian area.
When he was discovered, scientists found an arrow embedded in his shoulder, and apparently, he had been killed by a huge blow to the skull. This is not to mention all diseases he allegedly had, including gallstones, gum disease, worn joints, Lume disease, and the list goes on.
37. The Wooly Rhino
It only makes sense that animals with tons of fur are found in abundance in areas where extreme cold prevails. That is why the wooly rhino used to exist in areas such as Sakha, Russia. This particular one was found recently in the coldest region of northern Russia and is believed to be one of the last of its species to have died around 10,000 years ago.
According to scientists, the Wooly Rhino was about 18-months-old then. The find has been an essential part of learning more about the animals that lived in ancient times, how they lived, what they ate, and which habits they had.
38. Ancient Sabretooth Tigers
The ancient sabretooth tigers, also known as cave lions, used to roam in the arctic circle for decades or maybe even centuries. Russian scientists recently discovered unique specimens of the animal in Yakutia, Siberia, which allowed them to learn a little bit more about the mysterious animal.
Because of the ice-cold, the tiger was well-preserved and taken to a museum, weighing around 881 lbs. Scientists have discovered several other spooky animals from these same icy waters, including mastodons and other interesting creatures from the times.
39. A Lighthouse In Michigan
Those from Michigan will easily recognize this one. It’s not uncommon for certain pieces of architecture to succumb to the cold, and eventually becoming frozen. But this majestic image catches the magical aspect of winter.
The frozen lighthouse located right next to Lake Michigan was caught up in the cold, but still looks completely stunning with the sunset illuminating the ice in the surrounding area.
40. The Ancient Darts
There have been so many fascinating items found in the ice over the centuries, and the discoveries simply keep on coming! For instance, these atlatl darts pictured here were one of the first-ever forms of weaponry made in modern times.
Humans would make them anatomically customized to each owner, and the items eventually became what we know as darts and arrows. Basically, the weapon was made of a handle with a small notch at the end that would be able to hold a spear that was about four to six feet long. Back then, they were built individualized for each item owner and carved into some very impressive ornate structures.
41. A Dart Shaft Found In Poop
Believe it or not, there have been some phenomenal finds in poop in the history of humans and animal-kind. Though it sounds super gross, some deeply informative dart shafts were found by scientists in the poop of caribou just like the one pictured here.
In fact, there have been hundreds of darts found in the same area, implying that the hunters back then were pretty crafty.
42. Bacteria From The Ancient Times
Yes folks, bacteria can also be pretty ancient, and it can make for an incredible ice-cold find. Recent specimens found in the ice date back to around a quarter-million years ago!
Not all bacteria can survive this long though, and in the crazy amounts of cold that the most recent bacteria were found in. In order to make it, the bacteria have to be able to form spores, which are basically a form of hibernation.
43. Some More Ancient Bacteria
Though the bacteria found in the ice in the picture above was pretty harmless, there are other kinds out there that are incredibly dangerous. Those that are carried in the bodies of dead animals for example, or even some bacteria that manage to exist on their own.
What’s even worse is that when these bad bacteria are preserved in ice, they become pretty dangerous to us because we have never been exposed to them, therefore not developing any immunity.
44. The Dangers Of Global Warming
Though global warming is undeniably a very important and dangerous topic, many of the findings we have seen in ice are due to the shifting climate.
Because the atmosphere continues to warm up, the rate at which snow melts is much faster, resulting in several bodies and elements that were previously buried in the snow showing themselves. Yet, the warming of the climate is potentially one of the worst disasters of our time.
45. The Solid Lake
Here goes another picture that shows just how powerful nature is. Like we’ve mentioned before, lakes, oceans, and rivers are prone to becoming totally frozen when the temperatures are low enough.
This picture of a frozen lake shows methane bubbles trapped under the surface because they are unable to penetrate the ice layer and end up becoming frozen with the lake.
