Snow Crystals

[knocker]

The complex structure of snowflakes was touched upon in another thread so I thought some might be interesred in this snippet.

Wilson Bentley was a bachelor farmer whose hobby was photographing snow flakes. Many of his photos of "Studies among the Snow Crystals ... "were published in the Annual Summary of the "Monthly Weather Review" for 1902. They were taken in Jericho, Vermont. This a just a few.

Photos courtesy NOAA photo library.

Edited November 7, 2011 by weather ship

[Backtrack]

Wow, absolutely amazing to think that a cloud makes these beautiful crystals.

Seeding is a complicated process though! But wow.

[Southern Storm]

Thanks for posting them pictures!

I don't believe in a god, but when you you look at the structure of snow flakes it makes you think.

[greybing]

Thanks for posting them pictures!

I don't believe in a god, but when you you look at the structure of snow flakes it makes you think.

It makes you think there may be a god?Why. Edited November 8, 2011 by greybing

[knocker]

It makes you think there may be a god?Why.

Who else would have posted them?

[Southern Storm]

It makes you think there may be a god?Why.

Hi Greybing

To be honest i Don't know, It's just that you don't often see these kind of shapes in nature IE the almost perfect summitry and strait lines, they look like they have been designed on a computer if you know what i mean.

there are probably countless other examples of the same shapes throughout the whole of the natural world.

Edited November 8, 2011 by thunderman24

[jethro]

Highly recommend this chaps work, all of his books contain stunning photographs:

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Art-Snowflake-Kenneth-Libbrecht/9780760329979

[knocker]

Highly recommend this chaps work, all of his books contain stunning photographs:

http://www.bookdepos...t/9780760329979

I would recommend my post on the similar thread. But then I would. That's if your looking for explanations.

Edited November 9, 2011 by weather ship

[Terminal Moraine]

I'd be interested to know why, or how, the growth process of the crystal almost always results in perfect symmetry and not in a mixture of symmetrical and asymmetrical crystals.

[Beverley Lass]

Oh I love snowflake pictures, I think I might have a book of the photos

from Santa this year

I keep watching that 40second clip from David Attenborough's

Frozen Planet, of the time lapse photography of the crystals forming,

no two the same they always say. Magical.

BL.

[knocker]

I'd be interested to know why, or how, the growth process of the crystal almost always results in perfect symmetry and not in a mixture of symmetrical and asymmetrical crystals.

I posted a little on this in the other thread TM (these overlapping threads are a blasted nuisance) that may help but the short answer is the process is extremely complicated and still not fully understood. Advances in technology have reulted in some truly remarkable photos as others have noticed. Poor old Bentley didn't have this advantage but considering everything he still produced some great images.