S07 → N400

The Spike of Fascinating & Unexpected





SPIKE 10
→ SNOWFLAKE.



© 1-10.  The Met — Wilson Alwyn Bentley Collection.

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Snowflakes are intricate ice crystals that form in the atmosphere when water vapour condenses and freezes around tiny particles, such as dust or pollen, at temperatures below freezing. These hexagonally symmetrical structures exhibit stunning shapes and patterns, with no two snowflakes being exactly alike. As water vapour condenses onto a seed crystal, the snowflake grows by accumulating additional water molecules in a process known as deposition.

Factors such as temperature, humidity, and air currents influence the growth and shape of the snowflake, resulting in the diverse array of designs observed in nature. Indeed, snowflakes can form in various shapes, including dendrites (branch-like structures), plates, columns and needles, but they almost always have six sides. Their intricate patterns arise from the unique arrangements of water molecules as they bond together in the solid state. At temperatures around -2°C to 0°C (28°F to 32°F), snowflakes tend to form thin, plate-like structures. In contrast, at temperatures around -15°C (5°F), they are more likely to develop intricate, branching dendritic patterns. Snowflakes play a significant role in weather and climate, contributing to the formation of snowfall and influencing Earth’s albedo (reflectivity) by covering surfaces with a blanket of white.

The following pictures are from Wilson Alwyn Bentley, a self-educated farmer from a small American town who, by combining a bellows camera with a microscope, managed to photograph the dizzyingly intricate and diverse structures of the snow crystal. Many Americans knew him as The Snowflake Man, or Snowflake Bentley.




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