Mesmeric video captures a naturally-formed ice circle as it slowly spins on top of a frozen lake

Mesmeric video captures an enormous naturally-formed ice circle as it slowly spins on top of a frozen lake in Maine

  • Amazing footage shows extremely rare phenomenon in Haynesville on Thursday
  • The ice disc formed on Mattawamkeag River and is understood to be 80ft wide
  • The clip sees a circular disc appearing to spin on its own in a clockwise direction

This is the mesmerizing moment an enormous naturally-formed ice circle slowly spins on top of a frozen lake.

Amazing footage shows the extremely rare phenomenon in Haynesville, Maine, on Thursday.

The ice disc, which is also known as an ice pan or an ice crepe, formed on the Mattawamkeag River and is understood to be 80ft wide.

Amazing footage shows the extremely rare phenomenon (pictured) in Haynesville, Maine, on Thursday

The clip sees the circular disc appearing to spin on its own in a clockwise direction.

HOW DO ICE DISCS OCCUR?

Ice disks, also known as ice circles, have been known to appear in the Arctic, Scandinavia and Canada.

They occur at bends in the river where the accelerating water creates a force called ‘rotational shear’, which breaks off a chunk of ice and twists it around.

As the disc rotates, it grinds against surrounding ice – smoothing into a perfect circle.

Ice discs form on the outer bends in a river where the accelerating water creates a force called ‘rotational shear’, which breaks off a chunk of ice and twists it around.

As the disc rotates, it grinds against surrounding ice — smoothing into a circle.

They can even rotate in water that is not moving, because the ice lowers the temperature of the surrounding water, making it denser and causing it to sink, creating a circular motion.

A witness said: ‘I was driving up Route 2A when I saw the ice disk spinning in the Mattawamkeag River.

‘It was very large, possibly 80 feet across. Haynesville is a very remote area in Northern Maine and the Haynesville Woods have the reputation of being haunted.’

The ice disc (pictured), which is also known as an ice pan or an ice crepe, formed on the Mattawamkeag River and is understood to be 80ft wide

The ice disc (pictured), which is also known as an ice pan or an ice crepe, formed on the Mattawamkeag River and is understood to be 80ft wide

The clip sees the circular disc (pictured) appearing to spin on its own in a clockwise direction

The clip sees the circular disc (pictured) appearing to spin on its own in a clockwise direction

In January a huge ice disc formed in the Presumpscot River in Maine and spun anticlockwise for more than a week.

Westbrook residents planted a small US flag in the center, as well as a rainbow flag near the edge.

But city officials advised people not to walk on the ice disk.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk