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According to Professor Somorjai, the "quasi-fluid" or "water-like" layer exists on the surface of the ice and may be thicker or thinner depending on temperature. At about 250 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (-157 centigrade), the ice has a slippery layer one molecule thick. As the ice is warmed, the number of these slippery layers increases. This may help explain in part the difference between "fast ice" and "slow ice." As the number of layers increases, the players' skates need to "slosh" through more of these "water-like" layers; more friction occurs in these conditions, slowing the players down. These extra layers would also "soften" a landing for a figure skater--who skates on warmer ice than a hockey player. There is more on the structure of this "quasi-fluid" layer at the beginning of the "Skating" section. But before we get too technical, let's examine how ice is made. |
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So how do you make ice? Ice makers were hard at work long before Professor Somorjai's research was published. Most of their knowledge about ice comes from trial and error, not from scientific journals and textbooks. In our conversation with San Jose Arena ice maker Bruce Tharaldson, we learned a great deal about ice. In addition, we got a chance to see and better understand the legendary ice resurfacer--the Zamboni.
At the beginning of the hockey season, the arena uses an advanced refrigeration system that pumps freezing "brinewater" (salt water) through a system of pipes that run through a large piece of concrete known as the "ice slab." When the "ice slab" gets cold enough, layers of water are applied to it. The first few layers are painted with the hockey markings and the advertisements that you see on (or more correctly "in") the ice. These layers are then covered with 8 to 10 more thin layers of ice. When complete, the ice is only one inch thick! The ice stays in place from September to May. The NBA's Golden State Warriors played on a basketball court that sits on top of the ice. When world famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti visits the San Jose Arena, he sings on a stage above 10,211 gallons (38,652 litres) of frozen water |
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