Page 31 - How It Works - Book Of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, Volume 05-15

Environment

How do frost Frost flowers are
typically found in the
Arctic and Antarctic
flowers form?

How do these stunning ice
blooms grow?
hey may look like strange plants or even sea
creatures, but these beautiful formations are
Tactually intricate ice sculptures that grow naturally
on thin ice. They have been spotted on frozen lakes, ponds
and sea ice, but require very specific conditions to form.
The air above the surface of the ice must be still, dry and
about 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) colder
than the temperature of the ice itself. This makes it possible
for the surface ice to sublimate, meaning that it changes
directly from a solid to a gas, skipping the liquid stage
in-between. As this water vapour hits the cold air above the
ice, it condenses to form ice crystals that attach to
imperfections or cracks on the surface. With very little
wind around, the crystals do not blow away, and are left to
grow naturally into stunning frost flowers. As they grow,
the flowers also draw up more water from the ice below,
and this often contains microorganisms. In fact, the
density of bacteria found in many frost flowers means that
each one is its own temporary ecosystem.

Each one is its own

temporary ecosystem

What’s the

difference

between frogs

and toads?

As difficult as they may be to
tell apart, frogs and toads do

show some differences
rogs and toads both belong to the Anura order of the
class Amphibia, but they usually have features that
F help to separate them. Frogs have long legs to enable
them to jump and mucus-covered skins. Toads are fatter
and have dry skin and shorter legs. Frogs tend to stay close
to water, while toads are more often found inland. While
this category is huge, we tend to think of ‘true frogs’ as
members of the Ranidae family, and ‘true toads’ as
members of the Bufonidae family, each of which contains
hundreds of different species.

How It Works 31