Natural formation Feather ice on the plateau near
The cryosphere is the term used to refer to all regions of the Earth’s surface where water is frozen. Ice plays a significant role in the global climate, especially when it comes to the water cycle. Snowpacks and glaciers are crucial freshwater storage systems that have the potential to melt or sublimate over time. Snowmelt is an important source of seasonal fresh water. The World Meteorological Organization categorizes ice into various types based on factors such as origin, size, shape, influence, and more. [55] Ice crystal lattices that have gas molecules trapped inside of them are known as clathrate hydrates.
Recreation and sportsMain article:
Ice yachting is a kind of sailboat on blades. Another activity is ice racing, which is akin to dirt track racing in that competitors must control their vehicle’s skid while traveling quickly on lake ice. The sport has even been modified for ice rinks.
Role in human activities
For centuries, people have utilized ice to keep cool and preserve food. Initially, they would gather natural ice in different shapes and sizes, but eventually they would switch to producing the substance mechanically. Ice also poses a problem for different types of transportation and as a terrain for winter sports.
Ice has long been valued as a means of cooling. Persian engineers had mastered the art of storing ice in the middle of summer in the desert by 400 BC. The ice was brought in in large quantities from surrounding mountains or ice pools during the winter, and it was kept in naturally cooled refrigerators known as yakhchals (meaning ice storage). This was a sizable underground area (up to 5000 m3) with thick walls (at least two meters at the base) constructed from a unique mortar known as sarooj, which was known to be resistant to heat transfer and was made of sand, clay, egg whites, lime, goat hair, and ash in specific proportions. This mixture was thought to be completely water impenetrable. In addition to frequently having a system of windcatchers that could quickly drop interior temperatures to extremely cold levels on hot summer days, the space frequently featured access to a qanat. The ice was used to chill treats for royalty.
The low-lying areas along the Thames Estuary were flooded during the winter, and ice was harvested in carts and stored in insulated wooden houses between seasons as a provision to an icehouse, which was often located in large country houses and was widely used to keep fish fresh when caught in distant waters. These thriving industries occurred in 16th and 17th century England. An Englishman who had witnessed the same activity in China is said to have copied this. Ice was brought into England from Norway as early as 1823, and it was a significant import. [79].
The first shipment of ice was shipped from New York City to Charleston, South Carolina, in 1799 [79]. By the first part of the 1800s, ice harvesting had grown to be a significant industry in the United States. The “Ice King,” Frederic Tudor, worked to improve insulation for long-distance ice shipments, particularly to tropical regions; this practice came to be known as the ice trade.
Under Lloyd Hesketh Bamford Hesketh’s direction, Gwrych Castle was constructed between 1812 and 1822 with eighteen large towers, one of which is known as the Ice Tower. Its sole purpose was to store Ice. [80].
Trieste supplied ice from the Bavarian lakes to Germany occasionally, and it was sent to Egypt, Corfu, and Zante by Switzerland and France by Germany. [79] Lake Balaton ice harvested in the winter was used for air conditioning in the Hungarian Parliament building.
Iceboxes were an early form of refrigerator that were cooled by placing a block of ice inside. Ice houses were used to store ice formed in the winter, making ice available all year long. During the summer, regular ice delivery services were commonplace in many cities. Since then, the development of artificial refrigeration technology has rendered ice delivery unnecessary.
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