4 ms·

In caves, things like this would be called helictites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helictite https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helictite

chmod600 5y ago
It looks like the suggestion of extruding ice (in another comment) seems more plausible than a kind of capillary action as you suggest.
- robocat 5y ago
  For it to be extruding ice, the top of the railing would need to be full of water (which seems unlikely), and there need to be multiple holes in the railing of the same cross-section (which also seems unlikely). Because it is snowing an ice cap can form on top of the rail, and if the railing is warmer than freezing (for example if the air is above freezing), then heat can be transferred to the bottom of the ice cap, and water can come out the sides of the ice cap? Edit: leaving a layer of water under the icecap? Although cap would slide off if it were completely liquid under cap? Aside: I saw something similar recently while I was playing with a Himalayan salt block candle holder, placed on a plate, placed on a wood burner. Wetting the outside of the holder with a sprayer causes the salt to dissolve and the brine pools in the plate. As the brine pool dries due to the heat, salt forms an impermeable crust on the pool, and then the brine dries from the edge of the pool. The dried salt slowly extends over the plate, and it then goes over the edge of the plate and the salt dries on the underside of the plate. The heat of the wood burner speeds up the process. I originally saw the process happen to the salt block over months of time while it was sitting on a dish, sitting in an environment that is sometimes humid and sometimes dry. Edit: image https://im.ge/i/XfAm8P https://im.ge/i/XfAm8P
jwandborg 5y ago
> They can be easily crushed or broken by the slightest touch. Because of this, helictites are rarely seen within arm's reach in tourist caves. Wonderful bit of Gitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy-esque comedy.

chmod600 5y ago

It looks like the suggestion of extruding ice (in another comment) seems more plausible than a kind of capillary action as you suggest.

robocat 5y ago
For it to be extruding ice, the top of the railing would need to be full of water (which seems unlikely), and there need to be multiple holes in the railing of the same cross-section (which also seems unlikely). Because it is snowing an ice cap can form on top of the rail, and if the railing is warmer than freezing (for example if the air is above freezing), then heat can be transferred to the bottom of the ice cap, and water can come out the sides of the ice cap? Edit: leaving a layer of water under the icecap? Although cap would slide off if it were completely liquid under cap? Aside: I saw something similar recently while I was playing with a Himalayan salt block candle holder, placed on a plate, placed on a wood burner. Wetting the outside of the holder with a sprayer causes the salt to dissolve and the brine pools in the plate. As the brine pool dries due to the heat, salt forms an impermeable crust on the pool, and then the brine dries from the edge of the pool. The dried salt slowly extends over the plate, and it then goes over the edge of the plate and the salt dries on the underside of the plate. The heat of the wood burner speeds up the process. I originally saw the process happen to the salt block over months of time while it was sitting on a dish, sitting in an environment that is sometimes humid and sometimes dry. Edit: image https://im.ge/i/XfAm8P https://im.ge/i/XfAm8P

jwandborg 5y ago

> They can be easily crushed or broken by the slightest touch. Because of this, helictites are rarely seen within arm's reach in tourist caves. Wonderful bit of Gitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy-esque comedy.