A Natural Freezer Effect
In the Kokshetau National Park, certain caves defy the seasonal cycle, containing ice formations throughout the hot summer. This occurs because of physics, not altitude or glacial proximity, but due to a simple principle of physics: cold air is denser than warm air. The region's climate is sharply continental, with summer temperatures that can reach 35-40°C and frigid winters where temperatures can plummet to -45°C. One of the lowest temperatures ever recorded in Kazakhstan, -57°C, was in the Akmola region.
During the intensely cold winter, which can last from November until late April, the heavy, cold air sinks and flows into these caves. The specific shape of these caves, often with a single, higher entrance and a basin-like structure, prevents this dense air from escaping. When summer arrives, the warmer, lighter air on the surface cannot easily displace the heavy pool of sub-zero air settled within the cave. This lack of air exchange creates a stable, frigid microclimate where seepage water freezes upon entering, forming and maintaining ice structures year-round, even as the landscape outside blossoms.