Archives for: "February 2022"
February 25th, 2022
Why does snow seem to harden after an avalanche? Those unfortunate few who have been buried in an avalanche often observe the snow, once stopped, has hardened. Some liken it to concrete. Whereas the powder before the avalanche seemed light and easy to…
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Posted in Ice Science, Avalanches & falling ice
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February 24th, 2022
[This is the fifth in the series of re-posted articles, from 2010.] The most comprehensive study of frost and small ice formations was published way back in 1907 by Wilson A. Bentley. His article was split into five successive issues of the Monthly…
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Posted in Ice Science, History of snow and ice, Crystal growth, general
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February 22nd, 2022
[This is the fourth of the re-posted articles, from 2009.] “… by means of these wonderfully delicate and exquisite figures, much may be learned of the history of each crystal and the changes through which it has passed in its journey through cloudland.”…
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Posted in Snow Science, Cloud science, History of snow and ice
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February 22nd, 2022
Hair ice often shows a clear "parting". By part, I refer to that line along the underlying log surface, either side of which the hair tilts further to the side, analogous to the part one makes in one's own hair with a comb. An explanation for the cause…
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Posted in Hair ice
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February 22nd, 2022
[This is the third of the re-posted articles, from 2008.] For most of his life, and while not attending to farm duties, Wilson A. Bentley was captivated by the beauty of snow crystals. Perhaps then it should not be too surprising that he pondered the…
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Posted in Ice Science, History of snow and ice, Electrical nature of ice
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February 22nd, 2022
[This is the second of the re-posted articles, from 2007.] Wilson Bentley is famous for his phrase ’no two alike’, but what did he really mean by it? Excerpts in Duncan Blanchard’s book suggest that Bentley was usually referring to only the crystals he…
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Posted in History of snow and ice, More philosophical musings
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February 21st, 2022
[From 2006 through 2012, I contributed annual articles to the annual newsletter "Snow Crystals" for the Wilson Bentley Historical Society. That newsletter is no longer available, so I will repost my articles here, starting with this one from 2006.]…
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Posted in Snow Science, Ice Science, Hoar frost, Rime ice, Hair ice, Film frost, History of snow and ice, Tyndall & vapor figures
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February 20th, 2022
A region of thin, high cloud becomes ice, making a hole. That is what happened in the picture below. See the blue hole over the mountain? It may not be circular, but it clearly is a gap where once had been cloud. If you look at that cloud, you might not…
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Posted in Atmospheric optics, Cloud science
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February 20th, 2022
Walking the dog in the evening last May, I saw this bright spot in the sky. The sun had just set and quite a few folks had also noticed it. I had never seen an optical display after sundown, yet could never think of a reason for this. Indeed, there…
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Posted in Atmospheric optics
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February 19th, 2022
Out walking one day last spring, I sensed a subdued illumination--like a thin veil of cloud had drifted in front of the sun. I looked up, and indeed found that there was. Blocking out the sun with my hand, I surveyed the thin veil and saw a strange…
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Posted in Ice Science, Atmospheric optics, Polycrystalline ice
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