Here is another interesting thing about water: solid water is less dense than liquid water.

http://alms.biology.ualberta.ca/Pages-Other/OdeToH20.htm

Bodies of water freeze from the top down, not the bottom up: organisms can survive insulated at the bottom of lakes.

This also has the result of causing convection (overturning) in big bodies of water as extremely cold, less dense water overrides slightly warmer and denser water.

Back Next

Back to Lecture 16 outline

Back to lectures page

Back to main course page