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Changes That Occur to Water When It Freezes

One of the most abundant compounds on earth, water is also one of the most unique. It can exist in all three phases -- solid, liquid and gas -- at the same time and is classified as a mineral when it is frozen. Perhaps the most unique property of ice is that it is less dense than liquid water. The solid phase of all other nonmetallic substances is more dense than the liquid phase, but this is not the case with water. This is due to hydrogen bonding, weak intermolecular bonds that cause the water molecules to be less tightly packed in solid form. The fact that ice floats is crucial to the survival of many species in earth's biosphere.
  1. Organism Survival

    • If ice was not less dense than water and did not float, entire bodies of water would freeze from the bottom up in the winter and possibly never thaw. At the least this would result in the loss of all species of plants and animals dependent on bottom dwellers in both fresh and salt water. If the entire body of water was frozen, the result would be the death of all the organisms in that body of water.

    Wind Protection

    • The thin sheets of ice that spread over many bodies of water in the winter protect the organisms from extreme short-term temperature changes and wind. Animals that live near the surface of the water survive the winter thanks to the protection the ice offers. Because ice floats and forms only a thin layer over the water, sunlight can still penetrate it. This allows any species that utilize photosynthesis, or benefit from it, to survive in the winter.

    Food Source Protection

    • Although sea water does not freeze as readily as fresh water due to its sodium content, some sea water does freeze, creating brine-filled pockets that contain organisms designed to live in these briny channels, such as bacteria, algae and small crustaceans. These creatures then provide food for krill and certain fish species, which serve as food for larger animals such as penguins and whales, thus maintaining the circle of life even in freezing temperatures.

    Hunting Aid

    • Floating chunks of sea ice are ideal perches for polar bears searching the icy sea for a meal. Polar bears hunt seals, fish and even small whales beneath the sea surface, utilizing the flat pieces of ice to search for prey. Global warming and the melting of the polar ice caps have led to fewer chunks of floating ice, which has, in turn, led to polar bears eating less and weighing less. This proves that sea ice is crucial to polar bear survival.


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