<p>In a way, glaciers are just like frozen rivers. A good start on that topic comes from <a href="http://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthglacier.html">USGS</a>. Ice (whether in a frozen river or in a glacier) is still a fluid and thus is always moving because of its own weight. A frozen river will still be a river of incredibly slow moving water.</p>

<p>When water is not moving, first the entire volume cools down to 4C (maximum density) as the colder water keeps sinking to the bottom. Then, a thin layer at the surface starts to freeze while floating on the denser water below. By contrast, in moving water, the entire volume has to cool to 0C before freezing starts.</p>

<p>For any river to freeze, heat must be lost at a rate that exceeds the rate of replacement.  Because of the high heat capacity of water, fast moving water (e.g., mountain cascades) will be more difficult to freeze because heat loss will be smaller than flow rate. Thus, slow moving small streams tend to freeze quickly.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-03T03:41:34.187Z
Glaciers aren't frozen rivers. They are accumulations of snow that have failed to melt and over time the unmelted snow compacts to form dense ice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier
Fred
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-03T04:05:00.197Z
I completely agree with that. My point is that ice (whether in a frozen river or in a glacier) is still a fluid and they keep moving because of their weight.
arkaia
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-03T06:21:29.140Z
@Fred Imagine a river made up of an extremely viscous material that flows at incredibly slow rates.
Isopycnal Oscillation
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-03T08:04:18.750Z
Which river of *flowing water* froze to form a glacier? As far as I'm aware, as stated in my previous comment, glaciers formed from an accumulation of unmelted snow which gradually compacted to form dense ice. The ice in glaciers moves/flows down valleys with a velocity profile similar to water in a river, but much slower. The question asked by Glacialis is about rivers that contain flowing water, not glaciers that contain flowing ice.
Fred
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-03T15:07:02.010Z
I don't think we are saying that a river of flowing water froze to form a glacier, but rather that both a frozen river and a glacier keep moving. That's all
arkaia
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-25T10:54:50.220Z
Actually a lava tube might have made for a better analogy.
Spencer
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-03T01:52:16.543Z
2015-02-03T04:26:45.390Z
2015-02-03T04:26:45.390Z
arkaia
<p>On the North Slope of Alaska, I have seen lakes that are frozen all the way to the bottom. It's a fascinating site in the spring when the lakes thaw from the top down because the ice on the bottom of the lake is glued to vegetation and sediments (see picture). Around these lakes are small, narrow rivers called "beaded streams." In the winter/early spring, these streams are either dry or have running water. I don't believe (for all the reasons listed above) that there would be a completely frozen river. Any portion of a river that would be small enough with the potential to freeze completely, would likely dry out before the winter (although the ground all around the river is frozen... permafrost). And any "river" that became standing water, would be classified as a lake, slough, or backwater area.</p>

<p>However, a solution for you may be to check out Alexandra Falls in the Northwest Territories, Canada. The falls are pretty huge and freeze over in the wintertime!</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/RpaF1.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-16T00:02:41.973Z
2015-04-16T00:02:41.973Z
Leah VB
<p>A completely frozen river is equivalent to a glacier</p>
<p>There are glaciers that move, and there are glaciers that are static over periods of time.</p>
<p>So the answer is yes</p>
<p>However. Could play a definition of words in time and space game with this question. When the river is completely frozen it is not a river anymore.</p>
<p>In that case the answer is no</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-17T21:37:01.680Z
2021-02-17T22:55:56.503Z
2021-02-17T22:55:56.503Z
MP1
<p>I am interpreting your question as referring to rivers with flowing water freezing as as opposed to glaciers, which are already frozen.</p>

<p>Under current climatic conditions, small rivers can freeze throughout: from bank to bank, surface to river bed. I'm avoiding using the word solid as some people use that word when a river's surface has frozen from bank to bank. </p>

<p>Large rivers do not freeze "through out" because, </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Water, ice, and snow are good insulators and poor conductors of heat.
  The portions of a lake or river that are exposed to the cold winter
  air will freeze into ice and this ice insulates the water below from
  further rapid freezing. Also contributing to the prevention of bodies
  of water freezing solid is an interesting characteristic of water.
  Like most other forms of matter, water become denser as it cools, but
  beginning at about 39°F (4°C) something odd happens - water begins to
  lose density as it gets colder, becoming least dense when it freezes
  into ice. This is why ice floats. As water becomes colder it rises to
  the top, eventually freezing to the layers of ice that are already
  there. Insulation of the water beneath is increased as the ice
  thickens so cooling of the water beneath slows.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>From <strong>The Great Land of Alaska</strong>: <a href="http://www.greatlandofalaska.com/reference/faq.html#freezesolid" rel="noreferrer">Why don't lakes and rivers freeze solid?</a></p>

<p>Also, while water is flowing its potential energy is constantly being converted to heat energy that resists freezing on the molecular level and subsequent crystallization.</p>

<p>For flowing water to freeze, the temperature would have to be exceptionally cold.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-03T13:01:05.703Z
I totally agree with you
Fred
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-04T01:14:37.000Z
Yes, this is what I meant to ask: flowing water that may freeze in the winter.  I'd love to *see* a frozen river, I didn't really expect it to exist.
Glacialis
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-29T17:37:17.687Z
[Lake Vostok](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Vostok) and its siblings might be worth a mention.
Spencer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-16T10:28:14.123Z
When there are waterfalls, large rivers can freeze entirely. This leads to a weird effect where the cusp of the waterfall is continuously freezing and thus increasing in hight. This causes an ever larger ice dam to form, which then breaks spectacularly.
timthelion
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-03T06:00:59.943Z
2016-11-25T04:36:14.047Z
2016-11-25T04:36:14.047Z
Fred
<p>Is it possible for rivers to freeze completely in the winter and stop flowing?  Are there known examples of this?  If yes, how large can these rivers be and where does the water go?</p>

<p>There are several large Siberian rivers that empty into the Arctic Ocean.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-15T22:05:33.490Z
I recently made a YouTube video testing to see if moving water in my freezer would freeze slower or faster than stationary water. I think it helps illustrate some of the points made in the previous comments. https://youtu.be/Jrgac4J5v7w
Collin
<temperature><rivers><water>
Is it possible for rivers to freeze completely and stop flowing?
Glacialis
# Is it possible for rivers to freeze completely and stop flowing?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-02-03)

Is it possible for rivers to freeze completely in the winter and stop flowing? Are there known examples of this? If yes, how large can these rivers be and where does the water go?

There are several large Siberian rivers that empty into the Arctic Ocean.

**Tags:** temperature, rivers, water

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I recently made a YouTube video testing to see if moving water in my freezer would freeze slower or faster than stationary water. I think it helps illustrate some of the points made in the previous comments. https://youtu.be/Jrgac4J5v7w  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-02-03. Score: 25 | Accepted answer

I am interpreting your question as referring to rivers with flowing water freezing as as opposed to glaciers, which are already frozen.

Under current climatic conditions, small rivers can freeze throughout: from bank to bank, surface to river bed. I'm avoiding using the word solid as some people use that word when a river's surface has frozen from bank to bank.

Large rivers do not freeze "through out" because,

> Water, ice, and snow are good insulators and poor conductors of heat.
> The portions of a lake or river that are exposed to the cold winter
> air will freeze into ice and this ice insulates the water below from
> further rapid freezing. Also contributing to the prevention of bodies
> of water freezing solid is an interesting characteristic of water.
> Like most other forms of matter, water become denser as it cools, but
> beginning at about 39°F (4°C) something odd happens - water begins to
> lose density as it gets colder, becoming least dense when it freezes
> into ice. This is why ice floats. As water becomes colder it rises to
> the top, eventually freezing to the layers of ice that are already
> there. Insulation of the water beneath is increased as the ice
> thickens so cooling of the water beneath slows.

From **The Great Land of Alaska**: [Why don't lakes and rivers freeze solid?](http://www.greatlandofalaska.com/reference/faq.html#freezesolid)

Also, while water is flowing its potential energy is constantly being converted to heat energy that resists freezing on the molecular level and subsequent crystallization.

For flowing water to freeze, the temperature would have to be exceptionally cold.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I totally agree with you  
> **username_0**: Yes, this is what I meant to ask: flowing water that may freeze in the winter.  I'd love to *see* a frozen river, I didn't really expect it to exist.  
> **username_5**: [Lake Vostok](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Vostok) and its siblings might be worth a mention.  
> **username_8**: When there are waterfalls, large rivers can freeze entirely. This leads to a weird effect where the cusp of the waterfall is continuously freezing and thus increasing in hight. This causes an ever larger ice dam to form, which then breaks spectacularly.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-02-03. Score: 11

In a way, glaciers are just like frozen rivers. A good start on that topic comes from [USGS](http://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthglacier.html). Ice (whether in a frozen river or in a glacier) is still a fluid and thus is always moving because of its own weight. A frozen river will still be a river of incredibly slow moving water.

When water is not moving, first the entire volume cools down to 4C (maximum density) as the colder water keeps sinking to the bottom. Then, a thin layer at the surface starts to freeze while floating on the denser water below. By contrast, in moving water, the entire volume has to cool to 0C before freezing starts.

For any river to freeze, heat must be lost at a rate that exceeds the rate of replacement. Because of the high heat capacity of water, fast moving water (e.g., mountain cascades) will be more difficult to freeze because heat loss will be smaller than flow rate. Thus, slow moving small streams tend to freeze quickly.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Glaciers aren't frozen rivers. They are accumulations of snow that have failed to melt and over time the unmelted snow compacts to form dense ice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier  
> **username_2**: I completely agree with that. My point is that ice (whether in a frozen river or in a glacier) is still a fluid and they keep moving because of their weight.  
> **username_4**: @username_3 Imagine a river made up of an extremely viscous material that flows at incredibly slow rates.  
> **username_3**: Which river of *flowing water* froze to form a glacier? As far as I'm aware, as stated in my previous comment, glaciers formed from an accumulation of unmelted snow which gradually compacted to form dense ice. The ice in glaciers moves/flows down valleys with a velocity profile similar to water in a river, but much slower. The question asked by username_0 is about rivers that contain flowing water, not glaciers that contain flowing ice.  
> **username_2**: I don't think we are saying that a river of flowing water froze to form a glacier, but rather that both a frozen river and a glacier keep moving. That's all  
> **username_5**: Actually a lava tube might have made for a better analogy.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2015-04-16. Score: 7

On the North Slope of Alaska, I have seen lakes that are frozen all the way to the bottom. It's a fascinating site in the spring when the lakes thaw from the top down because the ice on the bottom of the lake is glued to vegetation and sediments (see picture). Around these lakes are small, narrow rivers called "beaded streams." In the winter/early spring, these streams are either dry or have running water. I don't believe (for all the reasons listed above) that there would be a completely frozen river. Any portion of a river that would be small enough with the potential to freeze completely, would likely dry out before the winter (although the ground all around the river is frozen... permafrost). And any "river" that became standing water, would be classified as a lake, slough, or backwater area.

However, a solution for you may be to check out Alexandra Falls in the Northwest Territories, Canada. The falls are pretty huge and freeze over in the wintertime!

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/RpaF1.jpg)


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2021-02-17. Score: 0

A completely frozen river is equivalent to a glacier

There are glaciers that move, and there are glaciers that are static over periods of time.

So the answer is yes

However. Could play a definition of words in time and space game with this question. When the river is completely frozen it is not a river anymore.

In that case the answer is no


---

