How Abraham Lake's methane bubbles form
The white discs stacked in Abraham Lake's ice are frozen pockets of methane, a gas given off by plants rotting on the lake bed. They form on many lakes, but few show them as clearly. Below, how they form and why this reservoir displays them so well, plus the one rule about touching them.
Gas from the lake bed
Dead leaves and plants settle on the bottom of the lake and slowly decay. Bacteria break them down without much oxygen, and that process gives off methane.
The gas collects in small bubbles that rise toward the surface. In summer they reach the air and vanish. In winter they meet a lid of ice on the way up, and that is where the show begins.
Layer on layer as the ice thickens
When a bubble touches the underside of the ice, it spreads into a flat disc and freezes in place. More water freezes below it, the ice grows thicker, and the next bubbles from the bed stop a little lower down.
Through the winter this repeats again and again. The result is a column of white discs, one above another, frozen at different depths. Looking down through clear ice, you see stacks that seem to hang in dark water.
How deep a stack goes depends on how long the gas has been rising and how thick the ice has grown. Early in the winter the columns are short, and later they can run well down into the ice.
Each column marks a spot where gas keeps leaking from the bed. Some are small and scattered, others form dense clusters, and no two weeks look quite alike as new ice forms and snow comes and goes.
A reservoir behind the Bighorn Dam
Abraham Lake is not a natural lake. It formed behind the Bighorn Dam on the North Saskatchewan River, finished in 1972, and it is the largest reservoir in Alberta, about 32 km (20 miles) long.
Its name is said to honour Silas Abraham, who belonged to the Stoney Nakoda people and made his home along this valley. Flooding the valley covered land and plant matter, and the bed keeps feeding gas into the water each winter.
It sits east of Banff National Park, with Highway 11 running along its shore. Nordegg, about 30 minutes away, is the nearest village. The Wikipedia page on the lake has more history.
Why the wind matters here
Strong winds often blow down the valley in winter, and they tend to sweep snow off the ice. Bare, clear ice is what lets you see the bubbles, so the wind does much of the work.
That same wind makes the lake hard going. On bare ice it can be strong enough to knock you off your feet, which is why the tours hand out crampons or cleats. Our ice safety guide covers the rest.
Bubbles are never guaranteed at Abraham Lake. Fresh snow can cover the ice for days until wind clears it, and a warm spell can cloud the surface.
In some winters the lake does not freeze clear at all, and the view is milky rather than glassy. The guide decides on the day where to walk, and which bays are worth the stop. Our season guide covers the usual timing.
Where people look for them
Guides and travelers often name Preacher's Point and Windy Point. The area near the Cline River comes up too. The best patch shifts from week to week, so the guide chooses the stop based on what the ice is doing.
That is one strong reason to go with a guide rather than guess. They have usually seen the lake recently and know which bays are clear. Our self-drive guide weighs that against the freedom of your own car.
On a tour you also get crampons or cleats on your boots before you step off the shore. Bare ice swept by a valley wind gives almost no grip, which is why the tours bring them.
See the stacks with a guide
Vancouver Journey takes you onto the ice with free crampons and a guide who checks where it is safe, with Bow Lake and Peyto Lake on the same day. Pack lunch and warm layers.
Methane burns, so leave the bubbles alone
Methane is a flammable gas. If a bubble is cut open, the gas escapes, and a flame near it can flare. Never drill or puncture a bubble, and never hold a lighter to the ice.
Videos of people lighting escaping gas on frozen lakes circulate online. Do not copy them at Abraham Lake. The flare is hard to control, and you would be standing on ice in a strong wind.
Brush loose snow away with a gloved hand if you want a clearer view. Never scrape the ice with anything metal, for safety and because scratches spoil the view for the next visitor.
Not unique, but rarely this easy to see
Frozen methane bubbles form on lakes in many cold regions. What sets Abraham Lake apart is clear ice kept bare by the wind. A highway runs along the shore too, so you can walk from the van straight onto the bubbles.
On many northern lakes the bubbles are there but buried under snow most of the winter, or the lake is hard to reach without a long trek. Here the road and the wind do the work for you.
Vancouver Journey from ~$78 is the cheapest guided way to see them. Our guide to the clearest weeks covers timing, and the photo tips help you capture the stacks. For costs on every tour, see the price comparison.