Sightings - S3E03 - “Ice Circles” - September 25th, 1994
“Crop circles are part of a larger paranormal phenomenon called UGMs - Unusual Ground Markings. A recent study found 50% of all UGMs are made in wheat. But there are also enigmatic markings in oats, corns, and ice. Ice circles are extremely rare, so sightings in the northeastern US are drawing a lot of attention.”
“Perfect circles of ice, created by a cosmic compass. Swirling patterns that seem to demand a supernatural explanation. Ice circles mimic the geographic patterns of crop circles, with one difference: the patterns are appearing in ice that is too thin to support a person, virtually eliminating the possibility of human intervention.”
A relatively short segment asking if there's a winter equivalent of crop circles. Unfortunately, there's two problems here that kept this from becoming a core UFO phenomenon:
Unlike the extremely elaborate and arcane designs of crop circles, these are only circles really, though some of the interview subjects gamely try to "see" deeper patterns in snow and ice
There is a readily available scientific explanation here. Like. Ice circles are a known thing and have been since 1895. Most of the circles pictured here aren't actual ice circles, only gaps in the ice that look kinda like a circle
As for the subject, we meet someone from the Center for Crop Circle Studies. This person's website from 1999 is still online and exactly as good as you'd expect
Next up, Tim White rattles off scientific explanations, then we cut to a man who has a scientific explanation of his own...
John Burke says: "plasma forces" are involved in crop circle creation so they are here too
YEAH BABY THAT'S SCIENCE (sort of vaguely gesturing at "plasma" while ignoring half a dozen rational explanations you've been given)
