Yes. Let's explain. Sea water, due to its saline content and higher density, has a freezing point of -2 ºC, but in practice there can be sea water temperatures below this threshold without freezing, provided that the surface air do not drop below -10 ºC.
Therefore, extreme cold atmospheric conditions are necessary so that icy waves of the sea can be observed next to the coast. Under these conditions, the sea water continues with its movement –the waves–, but progressively transforms into a slush liquid that slows down the waves, until finally it is completely frozen. In the Atlantic, both on the American and European sides, frozen ocean waves have been recorded in great cold situations with ambient temperatures of -20º C and less.
In the case of fresh water, the lack of salt facilitates its freezing. For this reason, "petrified" waves are not so rare in places like the Great Lakes of North America or Lake Baikal in Siberia.
Returning to the oceans, the phenomenon is not so unusual in parts of the planet such as northern Japan or the polar areas, although, since it occurs in areas that are difficult to access, it is not easy to be in the right place and time to immortalize it. If you want to enjoy fascinating images of frozen ocean waves, we recommend you visit the website of the surfer and photographer Jonathan Nimerfroh: www.jdnphotography.com.
Photo (CC BY-SA 2.0 / Harald Hoyer): Icy waves on a German lake.
