In recognition of Earth Day and Earth Week, we are pleased to release the new extended version of our viral video! The viral ice stacking video is even more mesmerizing with more clips, longer clips, and newly-released footage! We hope you enjoy the sights and sounds of winter from the shores of the Great Lake Superior.
"It's the video we can't stop watching." ~ The Weather Channel
We are grateful for the millions of viewers around the globe who embraced this mesmerizing winter video footage, and appreciate the kind and creative comments that were shared (including references to Superman's Fortress of Solitude). The original 2 minute version of this video quickly went viral in February, 2016 ( • Lake Superior Ice Stac... ). The hypnotic footage logged 1 million views in less than 72 hours on our Facebook page and surpassed 1 million views in 3 hours on The Weather Channel Facebook page! It was generously shared around the globe through online news media and social media, and has been broadcast in several countries. It even held the top trending spot on Facebook for more than 48 hours!
As of April 23, 2016, it has logged nearly 1.5 million views on our KZread Channel, is approaching 2 million views on our Facebook page, and surpassed 23 million views on The Weather Channel Facebook page.
Lake Superior put on a dramatic show with her ice in Duluth, Minnesota. While shooting in Canal Park, I noticed the ice had pulled away from shore and felt the breeze at my back. I anticipated there would be some ice stacking as the massive sheets of ice met the rugged shorelines, so I headed to Brighton Beach. The big lake did not disappoint! The seemingly endless ice sheets broke into large plates and stacked on shore, sounding much like breaking glass. The ice thickness ranged from about 1/4" to about 3" thick [.5cm - 7.5cm]. The sights and sounds were incredible! As the water became exposed, the sea smoke was whisked across the surface by the breeze. The sparkles visible in some segments were from the sun gilding the frost flowers that had formed on top of the new ice overnight -- icing on the cake! I am mesmerized by ice stacking, and spent hours immersed in the sights and sounds of one of my favorite winter phenomena, despite the subzero temperatures and frigid breeze. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into an incredible experience along the shores of Gitche Gumee! (To see the original viral video, go to: • Lake Superior Ice Stac... To see incredible footage of an ice stacking event during a sunrise in 2011, check out our "Lake Superior: Ice in Motion" video on KZread at this link: • Lake Superior: Ice in ... )
Four hours of 12-15 mph [19-24 km/h] steady winds from the SW led up to the movement of the large sheets of ice on Lake Superior on February 13, 2016. The conditions during the two hours of filming ranged from -8°F to +3°F air temp [-22°C to -16°C] , -20°F to -8°F windchill [-29°C to -22°C], with winds 5-10 mph [8-16 km/h] from the SW. Due to the mild winter, Lake Superior has experienced less ice cover than usual, and consequently the ice has not formed as thick as typical winters. (Weather data courtesy of the National Weather Service in Duluth)
This video is being shown at normal speed. For those who have not witnessed an event like this in person, it may look as if this is time-lapse photography or video processed at a faster speed. Some ice stacking events move more slowly, especially when the wind is weaker or intermittent. The large sheets of ice shown in this video had pretty good momentum from sustained winds, but at one point the ice came to a groaning halt and the silence seemed almost deafening; it was a little eerie. Then the breeze picked up and the ice was on the move again, stacking plates. Out of the 8 hours I spent shooting from various locations along the lake this day, I enjoyed a two hour immersion in this experience at Brighton Beach, creating photographs and video footage and simply observing. This five minute compilation of excerpts is a small sampling of what was recorded.
© Dawn M. LaPointe, Radiant Spirit Gallery. All rights reserved. Thank you for continuing to follow and support our photography and videography. We look forward to sharing more inspirations from nature with you! See more at www.radiantspiritgallery.com and on Facebook at / radiantspiritgallery . (We have much more unpublished footage available from this and many other shoots - HD quality. Contact us for more information.)
This particular video compilation is being managed exclusively by Newsflare. To use this video for broadcast or in a commercial player go to: www.newsflare.com/video/69607/... or email: newsdesk@newsflare.com or call: +44 (0) 8432 895 191 Please contact us at Radiant Spirit Gallery if you experiences challenges with the process or need additional information.