The Spinning Ice Circles

Ice circles are thin circular slabs of ice that rotate slowly on slow moving water in cold climates. A rare natural phenomenon.

River bends break off an ice chunk and twist it. The spinning disc grinds surrounding ice until smooth. River bends are just nature's lathe.

An ice circle cools nearby water, making it denser. That dense water sinks, creating a circular current.

Ice circle cools surrounding water to increase its density.

Ice pans form frazil ice crystals in a lake center. With enough accumulation they transform into a hanging dam.

In January 2019, an ice disc approximately 298 feet wide appeared on the Presumpscot River. Park rangers reported a smaller one that month.

On 23 February 2021, a disc estimated to be 196 to 202 metres wide was confirmed on the Taltson River.

Artificial ice circles are created by cutting a large circle in a sheet of ice. The World Ice Carousel Association records them.