Ice Facts

You can start a fire with ice.

If Antarctica's ice sheets melted completely, global sea levels would rise by approximately 58 to 60 metres (190-197 ft), enough to submerge most coastal cities worldwide.

Ice has a naturally slippery surface even before you step on it. Scientists discovered that ice molecules at the surface can't fully bond like those below, creating a thin quasi-liquid layer just a few molecules thick. This disordered layer, combined with frictional heating when you walk or skate, is what actually makes ice so slippery.

Eight-year-old Olivia Heid and her 4-year-old brother RJ sled off a ridge and vanish into a frozen New Jersey pond. Kieran Foley, 14, loses a boot in the mud and keeps going barefoot. His four friends link arms behind him on the ice. One by one, he hands both kids down the chain to shore.