How does the frost form? Colorful Winter Patterns

Hoarfrost is considered to be the most beautiful phenomenon of nature. His sparkling splendor and filigree of patterns fascinates us with his perfection, and poets and artists inspire us to create beautiful works.

What is hoarfrost?

Hoarfrost is one of the water conditions (vaporous), which at a temperature below 0 ° C is converted into a thin layer of crystalline ice. Each pattern is unusual and unique.

This phenomenon is explained by the fact that the different values of the minus temperature influence not equally on the formation of crystals of the ice structure. That's why frosty frost always looks different. When the temperature drops just below zero, the ice crystals have the shape of a prism-hexahedron. With moderate frost (up to -15 ° C), they look like rectangular plates. And if the temperature is much lower than -15 ° C, the crystalline ice appears in the form of blunt needles.

Where and how is the frost formed?

There is frost on various objects and surfaces, when they are cooled to a negative temperature, lower than the air temperature. This is due to the desublimation of water vapor - this means that it goes into a solid state, bypassing the liquid phase. The frost layer is rather thin, and the process of formation is uneven.

Studying the formation of hoarfrost, scientists came to the conclusion that most of all this is favored by clear nights with a weak wind or complete absence of it. Typically, this occurs in early spring, late autumn or winter, when the air layer at the surface of the earth contains a lot of water vapor.

Under such weather conditions, a sparking layer necessarily appears on various rough surfaces with insignificant thermal conductivity, such as open soil, grass, wooden benches, trunks of trees, roofs of houses and others. How does the frost form on these surfaces? This is due to the fact that the water vapor, cooling, turns into small ice crystals. And the wind of insignificant force is even more conducive to this process, renewing the masses of moist air.

Cleaning trees - hoarfrost or frost?

The hoarfrost on the trees is a delightful sight. The sight of snow-white sparkling trees and bushes does not leave anyone indifferent. Although in fact, they are covered not frost, but frost. For a common man, these two concepts are identical, but the scientists strictly separate them. While frost is also formed as a result of desublimation of water vapor, this process occurs only at temperatures below -15 ° C and the presence of fog. And it covers only long thin objects, for example, wires, as well as branches of green plantations.

Therefore, frost on trees from the scientific point of view - it's only covered with crystals of ice their trunks. A snow-white dress of branches is a frost. Although, if so sort out what difference, the main thing is that it's very beautiful!

Patterns on window panes

Winter fairy tale - this is how we perceive the cold season. What kind of jewelry does not use the winter. The hoarfrost among them is the most refined. And in all its beauty, it manifests itself in patterns on window panes. The air saturated with water vapor is cooled at 0 ° C or lower, resulting in condensation of excess moisture on the cold window panes. There is frost on them as well as on other surfaces - water from its vapor state, bypassing the liquid stage, passes into a solid, turning into crystalline ice.

What are the patterns of frost?

You probably paid attention to the quaintness and uniqueness of the frosty "painting". Nature draws frost patterns that are not subject to the brush of the most venerable artist. Why does the formation of frost on the window glass lead to such masterpieces? The reason for the ridiculously simple is the roughness, roughness and scratching of the glass itself. After all, it is on them that frost is formed in the first place. Emerging, the ice crystals seem to be threaded on each other and weave these magical laces. And they are helped in this by the dust settled on the windows, and the air flows.

Among the variety of frost patterns, two species are most often encountered: trichites and dendrites.

Trichits resemble fibers of different length and size. They are formed on the glass, covered with small scratches. First, frost appears on them in the form of crystal strips. The lower the air temperature becomes, the more fibers that receive curved shapes begin to depart from this main line.

How does the frost form in the form of dendrites, which are tree-like forms? This process occurs on window panes, the cooling of which began at zero temperature and continued as it decreased. Moreover, the humidity of the air must be increased. First, the glass is covered with a wet film, which accumulates more in the lower part of it. The "twigs" of the patterns here are quite large, and ascending the glass, they become shorter and thinner.

Hoarfrost in everyday life

As you know, hoarfrost can be found not only in nature. Those who have a refrigerator with an evaporator, are familiar with it not by hearsay. After all, frost is the reason for the violation of heat exchange in the cold room itself, as a result of which the unit must be periodically thawed. How does the frost form in the refrigerator? Blame all the moisture, on the one hand, evaporating from the products, and on the other, getting into the camera while opening the refrigerator door.

Many wonderful and beautiful phenomena were created by nature. After all, you will agree, leaving on the street in the early morning in frosty winter weather, you can enjoy the picturesque patterns created by hoarfrost.