A new way of looking at ice

This morning, Mid-Michigan woke up to find everything covered in a layer of ice.  The icy road meant that dozens of schools throughout the state canceled classes for the day.  Weather conditions haven't changed so there is a good chance that classes will be canceled again tomorrow.It's winter here in Mid-Michigan.  During winter you might expect to see everything covered in ice and snow, but have you ever thought about what ice and snow are?

The obvious answer is that ice (and snow) is the solid state of water.

The less obvious answer is that ice is a mineral.  

Yes, a mineral.

Like the thing that rocks are made of.

How is that possible?  If you look at the definition of a mineral, ice checks all of the boxes.  A mineral is a naturally-occurring inorganic crystalline solid with a specific chemical composition.

Ice is naturally-occurring.  Ice can form outdoors when the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.  (As I write, the temperature outdoors is 28 degrees.)  Ice that forms in your freezer is not a mineral because it would be considered man-made.

Ice is inorganic.  Inorganic simply means that it has never been alive.  Things might live in ice, but the ice itself has never been alive.

Ice is crystalline.  Ice forms crystals that have a specific internal structure - the water molecules that form ice bond together in a predictable pattern.  Liquid water and water vapor form much looser bonds and do not lock together in a predictable patter.

Ice is a solid.  When water drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the molecules of water bond together to form a solid.  Only in its solid form can water be considered a mineral; neither liquid water or water vapor meet the definition of being a mineral.

Ice has a specific chemical composition.  Ice is formed from bonded molecules of water, each composed of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen.  Other elements or molecules may be included in the ice, but the ice itself is formed only from the water molecules.

Ice is the only state of water that can be called a mineral.  If the ice melts or evaporates to form water vapor (a process known as sublimation) it ceases to be a mineral.  Due to the ability of water to shift states of matter, ice is a very ephemeral mineral across most of the earth.  In mid-latitudes such as where Michigan is located, ice can only be found during roughly half of the year.  At latitudes closer to the equator, ice would only be found in the highest elevations where the temperature can drop below the freezing point.  It is only in the highest elevations and the highest latitudes (the Arctic and Antarctic) that ice can be found year round. 

It's fun to look at familiar things in new and unexpected ways - like looking at ice as a mineral.  Right now large portions of the United States and Canada are rich in naturally formed ice, but come the period May to September it will be unavailable at any price throughout much of the same region.