Inward Tilting Icicles :: Part IV :: Mass and Science
(a) See Gary Thomas' comment to Part III, noting serious academic research on bent icicles.
(b) Here is a contribution from Alan Gould, Dan Gould's brother. The shifting snow (and ice) mass theory. Some on-the-street verbal comments from friends have tilted in the same direction.
I have not been neglecting the icicle challenge. When I first saw the photos I thought "Hah, that's nothing. Take a gander at the attached photo that shows icicles that have twisted completely upside-down!" It was sent to me as a science puzzle---how did that happen? 
The photo is normal orientation with "down" towards the ground. Turns out the explanation that best fits is that the icicles formed on branches and as they formed the increased weight made the branch bend more and more until the icicle formed the weird J shape with part of it looking like it's totally upside-down. I wonder if the slanted icicles are not some similar effect, where they started forming on the edge of the piled up snow and when the weight of the icicle got to a certain point, perhaps combined with changing snow condition/temperature, caused the snow mass to shift and tilt the icicle as seen in the photo. Well there you have it.
- My definitive analysis.
- What do you think?
- ----Alan Gould
The photo is normal orientation with "down" towards the ground. Turns out the explanation that best fits is that the icicles formed on branches and as they formed the increased weight made the branch bend more and more until the icicle formed the weird J shape with part of it looking like it's totally upside-down. I wonder if the slanted icicles are not some similar effect, where they started forming on the edge of the piled up snow and when the weight of the icicle got to a certain point, perhaps combined with changing snow condition/temperature, caused the snow mass to shift and tilt the icicle as seen in the photo. Well there you have it.
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