Why Ice Volcanoes on Lake Michigan Pose Serious Danger

Even in frosty, frigid winters, Lake Michigan can be picturesque, but it can also be deadly.

Despite only recently reaching the official start of winter with the winter solstice, Michigan has already experienced a rollercoaster of weather that began with a Thanksgiving snowstorm. Now, strange mounds of ice and snow are popping up along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

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Wild temperature swings in West Michigan have gifted us with some unique icy creations this season, including light pillars, pancake ice, and even frost quakes. The latest weather phenomenon to pop up along the sandy, snowy shores of Lake Michigan are ice volcanoes. While mesmerizing to watch, first responders in Michigan warn they are extremely dangerous.

Here's How They Form:

Each winter, residents are warned about the dangers of shelf ice, as choppy, turbulent waves erode the layers of ice formed above the water’s surface. That’s why emergency personnel urge people to remain on shore and never venture out onto the ice.

When waves crash beneath the shelf ice, water is forced up through cracks and holes. After repeated splashes, a cone-shaped formation takes form. Each surge of water through the icy cone resembles an erupting volcano, giving ice volcanoes their name.

Dave Benjamin, Co-Founder Great Lakes Surf Project told WBST news,

...people's natural thought is, 'I see a hill, I wanna climb it'. And they climb up to the top of it, which is gonna be the most delicate part of it. And then if you fall through, you're in like an ice cave where you might fall through five feet, 10 feet. And then the inside of this is going to be, you know, smooth as glass and wet and ice, you can't climb out