Frost flowers
Jan. 9th, 2004 11:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vaneramosMy discussion with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ruralrob about window frost prompted me to ask a meteorologist exactly how these patterns form.
My hall window is a garden of frost flowers. Here are two of my favourite photos, taken on Dec. 3, 2002.
Keith Heidorn writes Science of the Sky at Suite101. He taught at University of Guelph while I was studying there, but we never met. Now he lives in Victoria, BC. If meteorology interests you, also check his website, The Weather Doctor.
Keith tells me frost forms on windows the same way it does on any surface, when water vapour is deposited onto a growing cyrstal. A scratch on the glass or a contaminant such as dust, a clay particle or salt crystal may act as a seed for the ice crystal and help form these intricate patterns. For more information on the science and folklore of frost, read Keith's article, "Frosty morning."
My west window provides such fertile ground for frost formations because it is directly above the building's heat exchange vent, which constantly ejects water vapour.
The second photograph inspired this drawing, "Used car lot," so titled because that's what my west window overlooks. I gave this drawing todjjo.
ruralrob about window frost prompted me to ask a meteorologist exactly how these patterns form.My hall window is a garden of frost flowers. Here are two of my favourite photos, taken on Dec. 3, 2002.
Keith Heidorn writes Science of the Sky at Suite101. He taught at University of Guelph while I was studying there, but we never met. Now he lives in Victoria, BC. If meteorology interests you, also check his website, The Weather Doctor.
Keith tells me frost forms on windows the same way it does on any surface, when water vapour is deposited onto a growing cyrstal. A scratch on the glass or a contaminant such as dust, a clay particle or salt crystal may act as a seed for the ice crystal and help form these intricate patterns. For more information on the science and folklore of frost, read Keith's article, "Frosty morning."
My west window provides such fertile ground for frost formations because it is directly above the building's heat exchange vent, which constantly ejects water vapour.
The second photograph inspired this drawing, "Used car lot," so titled because that's what my west window overlooks. I gave this drawing to
djjo.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 10:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 10:32 am (UTC)If not, don't despair. I'm considering getting my own web host in the near future.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 11:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 11:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 10:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 01:26 pm (UTC)I was easily fascinated back then.
Oh, look! Something shiny!
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 02:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 03:43 pm (UTC)I never used to come across frosty panes of glass in my childhood, so I developed my observational skills watching shadows in the top corners of the room. I now look at clouds spanning an expansive summer sky as often as possible. There are myriad beauties in the gentle pastel colours if you know how to see. :)
I love your drawing. I am captivated. I know someone in real life who is an expert with coloured pencils - truly talented - but I've never really seen her draw anything quite this subtle yet variegated too. Beautiful work.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 04:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 04:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 04:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-10 02:56 pm (UTC)