dlese.org
This site describes snow crystals and snowflakes. Although a common meteorological phenomenon, snow crystal growth is a fascinating and poorly understood process, in which remarkably complex and beautifully symmetric structures appear, quite literally, out of thin air. The many facets of snow crystals are described here, along with the attempts to understand their formation. Site highlights include research on creating designer snow crystals in the laboratory, the history of early snow crystal observations, snow crystal photography, properties of frozen precipitation, and a snow crystal primer for a short course in snow crystal physics - what snow crystals are, how they form, and why they form the way they do. Information is offered on snow crystal classification, preservation, and unusual crystal forms. An extensive image gallery of lab-created crystal forms is available, with enlargeable thumbnail images. There are even instructions for users on how to create crystals. This could be made into a classroom activity, as the science of the growth is explained. Snowflake Physics discusses diffusion, dendrite growth, ice surface physics, electric growth, and ice properties. A vast list of related links is also provided.
Summary
| Subject keyword(s) | Astronomy, Atmospheric science, Earth science, Geoscience, Meteorology, Physical sciences, Physics, Science, Space Science, Space sciences, Technology |
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| Grade level | Middle School, High School, Higher Education |
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| Resource type | Audio/Visual, Reference Material, Text |
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| Resource format | text, text/html |
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| Rights | All the images created by the author (and collaborators) can be used by anyone, for any purpose, at no cost. However, many images throughout the web site were derived from other sources. The latter images are all cited with their sources. All images in the Galleries are original. If unsure whether a particular image is a site original, send e-mail to the site author. If you do reproduce some images, it is asked that you include a citation (e.g. Kenneth Libbrecht, Caltech), or better yet a reference to this web site. |
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Found in collection(s)
Click on the logo to get more information about the collection.
| Title | DLESE Community Collection |
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| Link | http://www.dlese.org/ |
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| Description | The Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) mission is to improve the quality, quantity, and efficiency of teaching and learning about the Earth System, by developing, managing, and providing access to high-quality educational resources and supporting services through a community-based, distributed digital library. Intended users include students, educators and citizens of all ages, in both formal and informal learning environments. The collection favors resources that convey linkages and connections; the general with the specific, theory with evidence, global with local, and that demonstrate the application of science to solving real world problems. This includes providing access to Earth data sets and imagery, and the tools and interfaces that enable their effective use. DLESE resources are community-contributed, by individuals, organizations, and formal collection efforts. |
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| Full description and distribution of resources |
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Content contained within the resource
... Your online guide to snowflakes, snow crystals, and other ice phenomena ... Home Natural Snowflakes --Photo Gallery I --Photo Gallery II --Photo Gallery III --Guide to Snowflakes --Snowflake Books --Historic Snowflakes --Ice Crystal Halos --Snowflake Store Designer Snowflakes --I: First Attempts --II: Better Snowflakes --III: Precision Snow --Snowflake Movies --Free-falling Snow --Designer's Page Frost Crystals --Guide to Frost --Frost Photos Snowflake Physics --Snowflake Primer --Snow Crystal FAQs --No Two Alike? --Crystal Faceting --Snowflake Branching --Electric Growth --Ice Properties --Recent News --Myths and Nonsense Snow Activities --Snowflake Watching --Photographing Snow --Make Your Own --Snowflake Fossils --Ice Spikes --Activities for Kids Snowflake Touring --Snowflake Hot Spots --Northern Ontario --Hokkaido, Japan (2) (3) --Michigan U. P. --Vermont --California Mountains Copyright Issues "How full of the creative genius is the air in which these are generated! I should hardly admire more if real stars fell and lodged on my coat." --Henry David Thoreau, 1856 [1] Welcome to SnowCrystals.com! This site is all about snow crystals and snowflakes -- what they are, where they come from, and just how these remarkably complex and beautiful structures are created, quite literally, out of thin air. Snowflake News <<>> FREE! Snowflake Wallpaper. Put an awesome snowflake on your desktop -- guaranteed to make your computer run cooler! Click on the size appropriate for your computer screen: 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1600x1200, 1680x1050. Natural Snowflakes Pictures, pictures, pictures. Visit the three Photo Galleries to see some spectacular photographs of snow crystals. Don't know a stellar dendrite from a capped column? The Guide to Snowflakes shows different kinds of snow crystals that fall from the sky. Browse the other links at the far left to find out more about natural snowflakes. Designer Snowflakes We grow our own "designer" snowflakes in the lab year-round, right here in sunny Southern California. It's part of our ongoing research into the physics of crystal growth and pattern formation. View three generations of laboratory-grown snowflakes at our Designer Snowflake Galleries, or watch some Movies of growing snow crystals. Snowflake Physics Why do snowflakes look the way they do? Check out the Snowflake Primer to learn about what snow crystals are, how they form, and why they grow into such diverse shapes. Or visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. Snow and Ice Activities Beyond skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating.... Here are some unique projects you can do with ice and snow. You might try growing your own snowflake crystals, or photographing snowflakes in the wild. Or perhaps you'd like to try your hand at creating some mysterious ice spikes right in your own home freezer. Still Something ... Snowflake Stamps. The U.S. Postal Service created a set of commemorative postage stamps in 2006 using photographs by yours truly - click on the image at right for more details. [1] H. D. Thoreau, The Journal of Henry David Thoreau (edited by Bradford Torrey and Francis Allen) (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1906; Peregrine Smith, Salt Lake City, 1984) Vol. 8, 87-88. SnowCrystals.com was created by Kenneth G. Libbrecht, Caltech Comments? Send an e-mail.... visitors since February 1, 1999
