Why and how does ice get smaller in an ice tray if unused for a long time? Doesn’t the freezing temp prevent evaporation?

Question

Edit for follow up question: if a freezer is sealed (or a fridge, or any other container sublimination or even evaporation takes place), how does this gas not build up and cause expanding or even a more violent reaction of said container? Where does it go?

In: 1

Answer 1

Nope. At pretty much any temperature, ice and water will spontaneously turn to gas. When it’s liquid to gas, we call it evaporation. When it’s solid to gas, we call it sublimation.