Incredible 'Ice Volcano' Stands 45 Feet Tall Forms In Kazakhstan

Incredible footage has emerged of a huge 'ice volcano' that has formed in Kazakhstan.

Standing at 45 feet tall, the amazing structure is the result of an underground spring in the country's Almaty region, between the villages of Kegan and Shrganak, around four hours away from the capital city of Nur-Sultan.

It is formed by water that sprouts out from the ground and instantly freezes, and it is the second to have been spotted, with both tourists and locals flocking to see the volcano for themselves and to share their spectacular photos online.

However, locals say it's the first that continuously sprays water out from the top, giving it its volcanic appearance.

Speaking about the impressive spectacle, a local said: "In general, this is artesian water that gushes out of the ground. In summer everything blooms here with greenery.

"And with the arrival of winter, on the eve of the New Year, it [the iceberg] increases to 14 meters and creates a beautiful location for great shots. It happened that my friends and I came to the 'iceberg' to celebrate the New Year."

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They form at the edge of ice shelf by the high surf when it strikes the face of the formation.

But they can only occur when three things align: the temperature, the height of the surf - at least three feet, and the ice coverage needs to be sufficient.

In February last year, a similar structure was spotted near Lake Michigan, US.

Ernie Ostuno found the huge icy mound at Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan.

According to reports, waves running beneath the ice forced water to spray out of the top of the cone, giving it a similar resemblance to the Kazakh tower.

At the time, the National Weather service reported: "It was a great day to visit the beach and watch the waves interact with the ice.

"Here's a couple 'ice volcanoes' erupting at Oval Beach on Sunday, February 16, 2020."

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Speaking about the phenomenon, Cort Spholten, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Grand Rapids, said 'volcanos' such as these can form in the space of hours.

He said: "We were cold enough to form ice on the shore of Lake Michigan, and water had broken the surface of that ice.

"The waves... were strong enough so the water channels through, it squeezes water upwards and tosses the floating ice up.

"As it happens, over the course of hours or days, it forms a cone, and it resembles a volcano."

Topics: Environment, Weather, World News, Volcano, tourist

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

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