ɪn sˌʌm kˈoʊld ɛnvˈaɪɹənmənts, sˈʌtʃ ɐz ðæt sɚɹˈaʊndɪŋ mˈaʊnt ˈɛɹᵻbəs, ˈævɹɪdʒ sˈɜːfɪs ænd ðˈʌs kˈeɪv tˈɛmpɹɪtʃɚz ɑːɹ bᵻlˌoʊ fɹˈiːzɪŋ, ænd wɪð sˈɜːfɪs wˈɔːɾɚɹ ɐvˈeɪləbəl ɪn sˈʌmɚ, ˈaɪs kˈeɪvz ɑːɹ pˈɑːsᵻbəl ænd ɑːɹ sˈʌmtaɪmz ˌoʊvɚlˈeɪn baɪ fjˌuːmɚɹˈɑːlɪk ˈaɪs tˈaʊɚz.
In some cold environments, such as that surrounding Mount Erebus, average surface (and thus cave) temperatures are below freezing, and with surface water available in summer, ice caves are possible and are sometimes overlain by fumarolic ice towers.