In December 2006, when we lived on a smallholding in Wales, I took some photos of a phenomena that I had never seen before, nor since. This was of ice that had been extruded from some rotting wood that looked like cotton wool:
A book I am reading is ‘Very British Weather’ by the Met Office. In the chapter on ‘Freezing’ is a description, and a small photo, of hair ice which they say is a rare type of ice. Now, at last, I know what this.
Its formation is, apparently, caused by the presence of a fungus ‘Exidiopsis effuce’ in rotting wood -just as shown in these photos. Here are a couple more:
I had often wondered about this…
More information can be seen on the Met Office website.