Page 116 - Super Earth Encyclopedia

GLITTERING

FROST GARDEN

FROST FLOWERS

In places with very cold winters, seas and lakes freeze
at the surface where the water is chilled by the cold air.
While the ice is still thin, it releases water vapor that
forms a layer of moist air just above the ice. If this is
then chilled by contact with very cold air, the moisture
can freeze back onto the ice in crystals that grow into
glittering frost flowers. They can grow only if the air
is much colder than the ice below so, as the ice gets
thicker and colder, the frost flowers stop forming.

AT A GLANCE

• LOCATION Anywhere with standing
water that freezes over in winter
• FORMATION Caused by water vapor
freezing into ice crystals
• PURITY Lake frost flowers are pure
water; on sea ice they are full of salt
• SURVIVAL They normally last for
only a few days

STATS AND FACTS

TEMPERATURE WIND FACTOR
Frost flowers Air temperature
grow on thin must be at least Another key factor
is that wind speed
ice, and cannot 27°F (15°C) lower must be below
form on thicker, than the ice for frost 11 mph (18 km/h).
colder ice. They SIZE flowers to form. MICROBES
can be found
FROZEN WORLD regions. The delicate Each frost
on new sea ice
in the polar
flower houses
frost flowers
about a million
grow as high
as 2 in (5 cm).
bacteria.

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