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The nature of ice‐forming nuclei in the atmosphere
Author(s) -
Mason B. J.
Publication year - 1950
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.49707632707
Subject(s) - atmosphere (unit) , ice nucleus , salt (chemistry) , ice crystals , range (aeronautics) , astrobiology , chemistry , chemical physics , materials science , meteorology , physics , nucleation , composite material , organic chemistry
During the last decade many experiments have been designed to investigate the initial processes of ice formation in the atmosphere. The results of these experiments are examined for clues as to the identity of the responsible nuclei and the following tentative conclusions are reached: (a) The nuclei which cause freezing between 0°C and −32°C are mainly solid, insoluble particles which are wetted by water and produce ice particles through the freezing of water drops. (b) The nuclei which become operative in the range −32° to −11°C consist of droplets of sea salt solution, ice and salt crystallising out on contaminating foreign particles at a temperature depending on the efficiency of these particles and the rate of expansion of the ambient air. (c) The nuclei effective at just below −41°C consist of droplets of pure salt solution and possibly of “ gaseous” nuclei formed industrially or by the action of ultra‐violet light on the gases of the upper atmosphere.