Pond Surface Beautifully Frozen to Resemble a Japanese Rock Garden

Winter temperatures can cause ice to do some unexpected things, and Reddit user odstane can definitely attest to this. He recently shared a series of photos from his frozen backyard pond, and the now-block of ice created some unusually beautiful effects. Concentric circle patterns cover the surface, and they resemble the lines you'd see on a topographic (elevation) map or even in a Japanese rock garden.

Bold white “outlines” highlight different shapes in the ice, and they trace around rocks that stick out of the pond. There are brilliant, multifaceted colors and crystals that are visible depending on your vantage point. And, when photographed up close, the pond sometimes resembles an abstract work of art rather than frozen water.

The Reddit post doesn't reveal how this phenomena occurred (there are only educated guesses), but we're glad that odstane shared this bit of winter wonder with the world.

odstane's post on Reddit
via [Twisted Sifter]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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