I’d call this snowflake a “sectored plate dendrite”, due to the way the large center formed and the tree-like branches it possesses. The large central area of this snowflake began as six broad branches; each of these branches grew to the edge of the adjacent branch, and eventually reformed into another hexagonal shape. This is where the “sector” descriptor comes in. Many snowflakes have this kind of structure, and it’s one that always catches my attention.
You’ll also notice that this snowflake is one of a pair, the other smaller plate also grew from a column-type crystal. In this example however, the smaller sibling is on the opposite side of the plate. We can see it through the ice, and we can also see an evaporation cavity where it sits. This is the circular ring you see in the ice, which is an indentation on the underside of the crystal. Just as snowflakes attract water molecules, the also shed them in a process known as sublimation (evaporation from a solid). The smaller crystal attracts most of the water vapour in this region, and in turn creates an area of low humidity that encourages water molecules to break away from the ice surface below it.
We’ve had a few storms that have created these kinds of crystals so far this winter, and that gets reflected in this series. Similar conditions within a weather system will produce a similar type of snowflake, even though each individual is a unique creation.
Want to know more snowflake science? The subject is a great introduction to basic physics and the beauty it can create. Check out Sky Crystals for more info: www.skycrystals.ca/ – and the book also has a comprehensive photographic workflow to study your own snowflakes and make images like this. :)
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