Bubbles in the ice of Abraham Lake in Alberta, Canada

© robertharding/Alam

Beautiful but dangerous. Beware the frozen beauty of Abraham Lake

While Abraham Lake, in Alberta, Canada, is man made, it benefits from the same glacial blue colour of other lakes in the Rocky Mountains. And with colourful skies like this one, this landscape is a photographer’s dream. But what’s that bubbling up beneath the surface? It’s methane, bubbles of which are released when bacteria feeds on organic matter at the bottom of the lake, then get trapped when the water freezes.

So be careful out there. They may be beautiful, but the frozen bubbles can be dangerous because they're highly flammable. If a match is lit nearby, the released methane could explode. The bubbles aren't so friendly to the environment either; methane emissions are major part of global greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change.