As of today, out of season, returns ~December. Earth Exhibit tracks the live conditions and flags it the moment it is on.
Early in winter, in the brief window after a lake freezes but before snow falls, the ice can set perfectly smooth and transparent — 'wild ice' or 'black ice.' Skaters glide over water plants, fish, and methane bubbles frozen metres below, as if walking on glass over the deep.
And it makes sound: as the sheet expands, contracts, and cracks, it sends out eerie booms, drums, and laser-like 'pew' pings that race across the lake — the 'singing ice' famous on Sweden's lakes and on Siberia's Lake Baikal, where the clear ice can be struck like a drum.
The window is fleeting: a single snowfall buries the clarity and muffles the song, and a thaw ends it.
Catching black ice means watching the cold snaps in early winter and getting out before the snow.
Where to see it
A taste of where to see it. The full map, exact coordinates and the best timing for each spot live in the app.
| Viewing spots |
|---|
| Lake Baikal (Listvyanka / Olkhon) |
| Weissensee Natural Black Ice (Carinthia) |
| + 1 more spot, with exact coordinates and timing, in the app → |
This is the short version
This page shows a taste. The app has the full list of where to see this, the exact timing, and live conditions for 1,000+ natural phenomena worldwide, so you know the moment one is genuinely worth the trip.