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Universality in snowflake aggregation
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Westbrook, C. D., Ball, Robin, Field, P. R. and Heymsfield, Andrew J. (2004) Universality in snowflake aggregation. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol.31 (No.15). doi:10.1029/2004GL020363 ISSN 0094-8276.
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2004GL020363
Abstract
Aggregation of ice crystals is a key process governing precipitation. Individual ice crystals exhibit considerable diversity of shape, and a wide range of physical processes could influence their aggregation; despite this we show that a simple computer model captures key features of aggregate shape and size distribution reported recently from cirrus clouds. The results prompt a new way to plot the experimental size distributions leading to remarkably good dynamical scaling. That scaling independently confirms that there is a single dominant aggregation mechanism at play, albeit our model (based on undeflected trajectories to contact) does not capture its form exactly.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
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Subjects: | Q Science > QC Physics Q Science > QD Chemistry |
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Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics | ||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Ice crystals -- Computer simulation, Aggregation (Chemistry), Snowflakes, Clouds -- Dynamics, Cirrus clouds | ||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Geophysical Research Letters | ||||
Publisher: | American Geophysical Union | ||||
ISSN: | 0094-8276 | ||||
Official Date: | 2004 | ||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | Vol.31 | ||||
Number: | No.15 | ||||
Number of Pages: | 3 | ||||
DOI: | 10.1029/2004GL020363 | ||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
Access rights to Published version: | Open Access (Creative Commons) | ||||
Funder: | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Great Britain. Meteorological Office |
Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge
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