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Sciworthy Newsletter-Winter 2025:  "Is ice a mineral?"

Views expressed in this science and technology update are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 12 February 2025, 2244 UTC.

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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencejournal.blogspot.com).

 

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Thanks for subscribing to the Sciworthy quarterly newsletter! In this issue, we review some of the latest cold-weather science including how bears survive hibernation, snow leopard conservation, flu vaccines, and more. Plus our resident astronomer, Ben Pauley, describes how you can find 7 planets in the night sky later this month, during the Great Planetary Alignment.  Is Ice a Mineral? The Mineralogical Society of America defines a mineral as a naturally occurring, inorganic solid, with a uniform chemical composition, and an ordered atomic arrangement. Let’s break down that definition to see if ice fits the bill: Is ice an inorganic solid? Yes! At room temperature, water is a liquid, meaning it can’t be a mineral. However, liquid water freezes into solid ice at temperatures below 0° Celsius or 32° Fahrenheit at Earth’s surface. In addition, the chemical designation inorganic in this instance means it doesn't contain carbon atoms, as opposed to organic chemicals that do. This means that muddy ice is NOT a mineral, because it contains organic material! Does ice have a uniform chemical composition? Yes! Each molecule of water or ice consists of 1 oxygen atom and 2 hydrogen atoms, so it has the chemical formula H2O, or dihydrogen monoxide. This chemical designation has inspired a common April Fools’ Day prank, known as the dihydrogen monoxide parody, where citizens are warned that chemicals in their drinking water can cause dangers such as corrosion on contact (rust) and suffocation from inhalation (drowning). Does ice have an ordered atomic arrangement? Yes! In a water molecule, the 2 small hydrogen atoms are placed at one end of the larger oxygen atom, like Mickey Mouse ears (shown above). In liquid water, the positively charged hydrogen atoms bond loosely with negatively charged oxygen atoms of other water molecules, forming clumps or drops. In solid ice, the hydrogen bonds instead spread out and stack on top of each other, which makes ice less dense than water. This unusual property is why icebergs float! Is ice naturally occurring? Yes! Ice occurs naturally anywhere water is subjected to freezing temperatures, as anyone who resides in a polar climate can attest to. In fact, ice is one of the most common substances on Earth and in the Cosmos, and glaciers and ice caps make up more than 2% of Earth's total water. However, not all ice occurs naturally. For example, the snow that falls from the sky is a mineral, but an ice cube from your freezer is not. So is ice a mineral? Yes! The Mineralogical Society states that ice is classified as a mineral as long as it is naturally occurring. This also means that glacier ice is a type of rock made of only one mineral or a mono-mineralic rock. But despite its universal relevance, scientists still don't understand many aspects of ice, including how ice crystals form in clouds, the elastic properties of snow, and how ice and snow are changing in today's warming world. How well do flu vaccines work? Medical researchers tracked how effective vaccines were against the 2023-2024 flu season in the US. They studied 6,629 vaccinated and un-vaccinated patients over 8 months old in 7 states between October 2023 and April 2024. They tested the patients for 3 different flu strains using a molecular assay that can distinguish different types of RNA viruses, called reverse-transcription PCR. They found that the flu vaccine protected patients from circulating influenza A and B viruses, and reduced the number of people who needed medical attention for flu-related issues by 44%. However, they also found that the amount of protection varied from 29% to 74% depending on the virus and the age group. They suggested future researchers measure antibodies in the patients’ blood to explain why different age groups might have different immune responses.  Tracking snow leopards with satellites. Researchers in Nepal used satellites to conduct the first movement analysis of the elusive snow leopard. Snow leopards inhabit rugged mountain ecosystems in Central and South Asia like the northeastern Himalayas, where they sit at the top of the food chain as apex predators. In recent years snow leopard populations have declined due to habitat changes, poaching, and climate change, such that they are currently designated as a ‘vulnerable’ species. To aid in conservation efforts, scientists examined GPS-based satellite collar data from 1 adult male and 2 juvenile female snow leopards between 2013 and 2017. They found these leopards had home ranges as big as 3,800 square kilometers (or 1,500 square miles), crossing from Nepal into China and India. They also found the females were generally more active than the male, which could reflect different ecological needs or ways of using resources. How do bears survive hibernation? If you’ve ever had an arm or leg immobilized in a cast, you’ll know it can take a long time to regain the full use of your limb. In fact, when people can’t use their muscles for long periods due to illness or injury, they lose muscle mass and function within days or weeks. But hibernating bears lose minimal muscle mass despite not eating or moving for months. A team of scientists from the EU wanted to know how they do it. They compared muscle fibers taken from brown bears during hibernation with those taken from the same bears in the summer. They found the hibernating bears produced less of an enzyme called myosin ATPase. This enzyme powers muscle movement by breaking down ATP to release energy, meaning that with less myosin ATPase the bears’ muscles lose less energy. They suggested this enzyme could play a role in other muscle-wasting conditions as well. The Great Planetary Alignment by Ben Pauley  On February 28th, star gazers be on the lookout for 7 planets in the Northern Hemisphere night sky. From StarWalk2. An uncommon astronomical event will occur this month when all 8 planets are on the same side of the Sun, referred to by astronomers as a great planetary alignment. Up to 5 planets, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and Saturn, will be visible to the naked eye in the night sky throughout February. But around February 28th, Uranus and Neptune will also be visible through binoculars or a telescope because of the coinciding New Moon. As the name “alignment” suggests, the planets lie on a relatively narrow band or line in the sky. This band is centered on the apparent path of the Sun’s yearly motion in the sky, called the ecliptic. The ecliptic is named for the range of positions the Moon has to be in for an eclipse to occur! The fact that all of the planets are within 4° to 7° of the ecliptic is one piece of evidence astronomers use to argue that they all formed around the same time as parts of a single protoplanetary disk.  For maximum effect, start looking for the planets just after sunset. At this time of year, the Sun is in the constellation Aquarius. If you follow the path of the setting Sun upwards, you’ll first see Saturn, then the larger Mercury as bright stars near the constellation Pisces. Continuing to gaze upwards and through Pisces, you’ll see a third and relatively large bright star, which is Venus. With the aid of binoculars or a telescope and a bit of luck, you’ll find Neptune southwest of Pisces between Venus and Mercury.  Continue following the zodiac constellations until you reach Taurus. You’ll see a very bright star, which is Jupiter. Looking back down towards the direction of the setting Sun, you can use a telescope or binoculars to spot Uranus below the Pleiades. And finally, continuing along the zodiac, you’ll find Mars in Gemini, making a triplet of bright stars with the constellation’s own Castor and Pollux. Catch this event while you can, as the next 8-planet alignment won’t come around until 2161! Support Us Like what we're doing? Become a supporter! Sciworthy is an initiative of the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Blue Marble Space. We don’t do advertising, sponsored content, or other online monetization strategies because we don’t think advertisers should drive the discussion. That means we rely on generous donors like you to help us maintain our website, support our writers, and develop our online courses. You can make a one-time donation, set up a recurring donation, or become a patreon supporter. Donate now to support impartial science news!   Don't like what we're doing? We want to know that too. Take our 5-minute survey and let us know how sciworthy.com can better serve our readers! Take Our Survey

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