How Does Regelation Work?

Regelation is when ice melts and then freezes again, even though it's still cold, like a snowman that can dance without getting warm.

Imagine you have a block of ice, and you press a heavy book on top of it. The ice starts to melt because the pressure from the book makes it easier for the ice molecules to move around. It’s like when you squeeze a balloon, it gets squishy and can even pop!

Once the book is lifted, the pressure goes away, and the melted water turns back into ice. It's like when you let go of that squeezed balloon, it goes back to being round again.

Ice is made up of tiny ice crystals that are neatly arranged. When pressure is added, those crystals get a little out of order, making the ice weaker and easier to melt. This is called regelation.

It’s like when you put your hands together and rub them, they feel warm even though it's cold outside. Pressure makes things change, just like how squeezing ice can make it dance between being solid and liquid!