Image Credit: Contributed / Kathleen Bennett

By James Peters

Natural Phenomenon

VIDEO: A huge ice disc has formed on the South Thompson River in Kamloops

Jan 20, 2020 | 2:09 PM

KAMLOOPS — For a short time, until the mild weather causes it to melt, Kamloops will be home to an extremely rare natural phenomenon.

Local resident Kathleen Bennett noticed it floating in the South Thompson River near her home Sunday afternoon (Jan. 19) — an ice disc that she estimates is 40 metres across, slowly rotating in the water. The disc can be found adjacent to the Jack Gregson Trail, across from the Tk’emlups Powwow Grounds.

WATCH: An ice disc slowly spins in the South Thompson. (Video Credit: Contributed / Kathleen Bennett)

Bennett, who spoke to CFJC Today from out of town Monday afternoon, said the disc was still intact as of Monday morning.

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Wikipedia describes ice discs, or ice circles, as very rare phenomena that occur in slow moving water in cold climates.

The Kamloops disc appears to be almost a perfect circle, lazily spinning counter-clockwise.

According to a National Geographic story about an ice disc that formed in Maine last year, the formation of the objects is not entirely understood by scientists.

A theory published in Physical Review E posits that river currents help form the circles, but temperatures changes contribute to their continued rotation.

“Someone mentioned, ‘It’s a gift from the river to you, Kathleen,'” said Bennett. “I thought, ‘That’s kind of nice.'”