Ice is a naturally occurring crystalline solid of water that forms at temperatures below 0°C. It is typically found in glaciers and polar regions, often occurring as massive polycrystalline aggregates rather than distinct single crystals.
Is this ice?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch ice with a known reference. Ice sits at Mohs 1.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless, pale blue, greenish blue, white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: hexagonal. Typical habit: crystalline, dendritic, massive.
Often confused with
Ice vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 1.5
- Density
- 0.9167 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Crystal habit
- Crystalline, dendritic, massive
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- Formed at low temperatures by sublimation in the atmosphere and in layers over open bodies of water; in glacial flows and thick masses of near-continental dimensions
Where rockhounds find ice
Classic worldwide localities
- Antarctica
- Greenland
- Iceland
- Canada
- Norway
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Formed at low temperatures by sublimation in the atmosphere and in layers over open bodies of water; in glacial flows and thick masses of near-continental dimensions. Typical habit: crystalline, dendritic, massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify ice?+
Where is ice found?+
What rocks look like ice?+
What kind of rock does ice form in?+
What is ice used for?+
Find ice on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
