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I would assume because its very well insulated from above and warmed by the earth's core from below, but I'm not a geologist.

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It's also probably due to being under high pressure; the melting point of a substance is dependent on the pressure it is under.

Except its water which kinda defines incompressible.

Answer is thermal energy from tectonic processes. Cite: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi...

It doesn't matter how compressible it is, its temperature still rises from pressure. That is why ice is so slippery, pressure (from a tire, foot, or ice skate) melts a thin layer of water on the surface which acts as a lubricant (which is also why ice stops being slippery when its temperature gets low enough that normal pressures can't raise it enough to melt).

It's more complex than that:

http://lptms.u-psud.fr/membres/trizac/Ens/L3FIP/Ice.pdf

Even an extremely high pressure cannot melt ice at -25 °C, but skiing is still possible at that temperature.

great article! If you have the time read it.

You're correct, except that the heat doesn't come from the earth's core, but from its mantle and mostly its crust.

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