Michigan's blue ice is a stunning natural phenomenon

Chunks of blue ice piling up in northern Michigan have captured the eye of many photographers.

Blue ice is a known winter phenomenon in the Great Lakes, the largest glacial lakes in the world.

According to the National Snow & Ice Data Center, glacial ice usually appears blue when it is very dense. Thick ice crystals with few bubbles or particles inside to scatter light allow it to penetrate farther into the ice before reflecting back. "This increases the tendency for ice to slightly absorb red and infrared light to impart the blue tint," the website states.

These pictures were taken from Mackinac Island, which lies in the strait separating Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas, with Lake Huron to the east and Lake Michigan to the west.

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• Michigan