Archives for: December 2009
Ice of Hearts
December 28th, 2009Back when I lived in Boulder, CO, I worked with Charles Knight on developing a new way to grow ice crystals for experimental study. I knew that the problem with most methods was twofold: there were too many crystals too close together to be able to learn… more »
Hoar in a Hole
December 26th, 2009 A hole in the ground is a good place to look for large hoar crystals. Next to some rice paddies, just uphill from the tubs, lies a few small holes in the cement roadway. From eye level, the white tinge of hoar frost just inside the lip is easily overl… more »
Oddly Glazed Bathtub
December 26th, 2009I often see curious ice patterns on the surface of frozen water. On Christmas morning, I saw this strange pattern on one of the farmer's outdoor bathtubs. The foreground region looks a little like terraced rice fields on both sides of a mountain pass, bu… more »
Reflections off Falling Crystals
December 26th, 2009On my morning icespotting trip the other morning (12/19), I caught a glipse of an unusual sight - a sun pillar. I thought I saw one once last winter, but this one was unmistakable. It seemed more striking even than the one in Robert Greenler's book "Rain… more »
It Came Out of the Sky
December 26th, 2009Our first snowfall came overnight with a howling westerly, but left just a light dusting. Only certain surfaces with a wide view of the sky were cool enough to preserve the snow. The only place in our yard was the roof of our car, which I've found in the… more »
Colors of Ice
December 18th, 2009The farmer's bathtub finally froze over. The glaze didn't seem particularly novel, so I picked up a rock and broke through, and put a chunk between two crossed polaroid sheets and shot a picture. The colors arise from the birefringent nature of ic… more »
First Frost
December 15th, 2009 Here in this neighborhood of Japan, we finally had our first good frost day. By frost, I mean any ice that forms from vapor that condenses (wet or dry) onto a surface. We rarely get snow, typically just one or two short-lived, wet snowfalls o… more »
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