Ice and magnetism – a view through the microscope

Water is a diamagnetic material, which means, it is reacting in magnetic fields. This is a simple experiment to see how a magnetic field influences ice crystals during freezing; water was dropped on a microscope slide that was placed on neodymium magnets and frozen by -25°C. The photos are made with a cooled polarization microscope with the 10x objective and a 2,5x photo adapter. Under the microscope, the ice crystals show completely different habit than “normal” ice crystals. They are smaller, partly cubic or with an irregular shape.

Ice crystals under frozen ina magnetic field.

Small cubic crystals formed near the magnetic pole.

Irregular crystals formed in the magnetic field.

For comparison, these are ice crystals frozen without a magnetic field. 

A Mushroom in Moss

Linked with Macro Monday.

Silent Sunday - Forest Way

Linked with Silent Sunday.

Palmnuts

Some palmnuts in The Gambia.

Linked with The Weekend in Black and White.

Maior cajueiro do mundo

It looks like a forest, but it's only one tree. This cashew tree grows in the Brasilian county Rio Grande do Norde near the city Natal. People said it is the biggest cashew tree inn the world and it vovers an area of approximmataly 8000 square meters.

The top of  Maior cajueiro do mundo.

Inside the tree.

Linked with Skywatch Friday.

Goats Beard Mushroom

Linked with Wordless Wednesday and Image-in-ing

Crested Tits

Crested Tits are common forest birds, but they live hidden in forests. I had the luck to see a small flock and get one in front of my camera.

Linked with Wild Bird Wednesday.

Silent Sunday - Roe Deer

Linked with Silent Sunday.

Bork Beetle Tracks

Bork beetles are pain for trees, but there traces have interesting structures.

Linked with The Weekend in Black and White. 

Cloudy Crossroads

Linked with Skywatch Friday.