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The terminal velocity of snowflakes
Author(s) -
Langleben M. P.
Publication year - 1954
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.49708034404
Subject(s) - snowflake , terminal velocity , snow , mechanics , physics , materials science , meteorology , atmospheric sciences
Measurements of the terminal velocity of aggregate snowflakes at the ground indicate that the velocity is approximately proportional to the one‐tenth power of the mass. The constant of proportionality is dependent on the basic crystal types in the aggregates. It is moreover greatly increased by riming or by slight melting of the snowflakes. When snow grows markedly at a generating level, the rate of fall of the snow particles as determined from radar observations is found to correspond to the velocities of aggregates. It is thus inferred that aggregation can occur at temperatures far below the freezing point.