Abraham Lake Bubbles

Abraham Lake ice bubbles are a stunning winter natural phenomenon that occur on Abraham Lake, an artificial reservoir on the North Saskatchewan River in western Alberta, Canada.

Beneath the surface of the frozen lake, methane gas bubbles get trapped in the ice during winter. These bubbles are produced when organic matter at the bottom of the lake decomposes without oxygen. As methane rises toward the surface, it becomes frozen in place by the forming ice, creating layers of white, rounded bubbles. The result is a surreal pattern of white, disc-shaped bubbles suspended at different depths — often in concentric rings or columns — against the crystal-clear turquoise ice. From a distance, they resemble floating pearls, jellyfish, or frozen fireworks.

Scott has been visiting Abraham Lake and photographing frozen ice bubbles since 2007, returning year after year as the lake revealed new patterns and moods. Recently, Scott has started creating ultra-high-resolution photographs of the ice bubbles and surrounding mountains. However, due to the specialized equipment and techniques required, the normally high winds in the area make creating such images an immense challenge. This means that such images can only be made during short opportunities with ideal weather, and that the creation of these high-resolution images will be a long-running project.

Photo Information: A very high-resolution photograph taken at Abraham Lake, also known as Lake Abraham, an artificial lake and Alberta's largest reservoir. It is located in the "Kootenay Plains area of the Canadian Rockies' front range", on the North Saskatchewan River in western Alberta, Canada.

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