WoahScientists Just Made Warm Ice

Published: Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at 12:30 pm

Scientists Discover New Form of Ice, Ice XXI

Scientists have announced the discovery of a new phase of ice, dubbed Ice XXI, adding to the known twenty phases of ice. Researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) made the discovery, which could provide insights into the composition of icy moons in our solar system.

The study involved subjecting water to extreme pressure using diamond anvil cells (DACs), a technique that compresses samples to immense pressures. The water was compressed to 2 gigapascals, or 20,000 times atmospheric pressure, within a mere 10 milliseconds. Scientists then utilized advanced X-ray facilities, including the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility (XFEL) and PETRA III, to observe the molecular structure of the ice. These facilities allowed researchers to capture images of the ice formation at incredibly high speeds, essentially creating an ultra-advanced high-speed camera.

The newly discovered Ice XXI is metastable, meaning it can exist for a period even when other ice forms would be more stable. The rapid compression of water allows it to remain liquid at higher pressures, where it would normally crystallize into a different ice phase. The structure of Ice XXI is tetragonal, composed of large repetitive units containing 152 water molecules.

This research aims to understand the behavior of water under extreme conditions, similar to the conditions found in the interiors of icy moons. The findings suggest that more high-temperature, metastable ice phases may exist, potentially offering new insights into the composition of these celestial bodies. This research builds upon previous studies, such as those exploring the role of superionic ice phases in the formation of magnetic fields on planets like Neptune and Uranus.

BNN's Perspective: This research highlights the ongoing advancements in materials science and the potential for these discoveries to expand our understanding of the universe. While the immediate applications may seem distant, the fundamental knowledge gained from studying ice under extreme conditions could have significant implications for space exploration and our understanding of planetary formation.

Keywords: Ice XXI, ice phases, water, KRISS, diamond anvil cells, DACs, XFEL, PETRA III, metastable ice, supercompression, icy moons, solar system, materials science, high pressure, tetragonal structure, Geun Woo Lee, Rachel Husband, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotrons, DESY, Neptune, Uranus, magnetic fields, space exploration, planetary formation

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