Abraham Lake is stunning in every season, but it really dazzles in the winter when its turquoise water freezes to reveal thousands of white bubbles below the surface.
The Abraham Lake bubbles are an intriguing winter wonder, an icy spectacle of patterns and shapes frozen in form. Framing these beautiful bubbles are deep cracks, inverted walls of ice, and milky ribbons of snow in the glistening, frozen water.
So you don’t miss out on enjoying this winter sensation near Nordegg, here’s everything you need to know about the Abraham Lake ice bubbles including how they’re made, when you can see them, the best places to view them, and how to stay safe on the ice.
What Causes the Abraham Lake Bubbles and How Do They Form?
The Abraham Lake bubbles look so phenomenal and unique that you might think they’re caused by a rare phenomenon. Unfortunately, there’s no magic at work here- just the common natural process of decomposition.
Abraham Lake’s frozen bubbles are caused when plants and tree limbs on the bottom of the lake start decaying. During this process methane gas is released, creating bubbles in the water. When the temperature drops in the winter months, these methane bubbles become trapped in ice, suspended just below the surface of the water.
As Abraham Lake continues to freeze, stacks and layers of bubbles start to appear in the thickening ice. Soon the lake looks like a giant lava lamp, with icy blobs frozen in time.
Even though all lakes have organic matter decaying in their depths, what makes Abraham Lake such a special place to see frozen methane bubbles is the clarity of the ice and high concentration of bubbles. The wind gusts here can be very strong, blowing off snow and polishing the ice into a smooth, glass-like surface. Without a blanket of snow, thousands of frozen bubbles in Abraham Lake are revealed.
Best Time to See Frozen Methane Bubbles in Abraham Lake
The best time to see the Abraham Lake bubbles is typically from mid-January to early February. The lake is usually frozen by late December and a few weeks later the bubbles are at their best, having had some time to layer and freeze in thick ice.
Of course, there can be no guarantees when Abraham Lake will be frozen enough to safely walk on. When the lake freezes depends on the weather and how cold it’s been. If temperatures haven’t been cold enough, for a long enough period of time, the lake might not be frozen until mid-January. The lake’s ice coverage varies throughout the winter too, so just because one spot is frozen thick doesn’t mean everywhere is. In general, it’s best not to plan a trip to see the methane ice bubbles
until January at the earliest.
Another factor that affects the visibility of the bubbles is snow. If there’s been a recent snowfall the ice will be covered, especially if there hasn’t been a significant amount of wind.
Later in the winter there will likely be more snow both on the surface and frozen in the lake, affecting the clarity of the ice and concealing the bubbles. However, the ice-locked snow is just as beautiful as the bubbles, looking like spilled milk flowing over broken glass. The patterns are absolutely mesmerizing!
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