Please Answer

[quasigeostrophy]

This isn't a meme, but neither is it homework. It is related peripherally to my forthcoming Ph.D. work.

What about winter precipitation (freezing rain, sleet, snow), especially but not necessarily related to climate change, do you wish we (or even just you) knew more?

Comments

[gremlin44.livejournal.com]

Here's a question Kevin had for us yesterday--why is snow in the air "clear" but snow piled up on the ground white?

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

That one I can already answer: The crystal shapes of snowflakes scatter light as light passes through. Single, spaced apart flakes scatter the light away pretty rapidly, keeping the crystal clear. A collected pile of millions of flakes scatters light around so much that all the colors are scattered to the point where it sends them all back to you in enough intensity to be white light. If it scattered any colors more than any other, it would look colored (which is why the sky is blue). :-)

[krasota.livejournal.com]

So why does mine look yellow?

(No, you don't have to take homework time to answer that.)

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Can't Jericho answer that one? ;-)

[gows.livejournal.com]

Ah--which is why amber/yellow lenses are great to wear while driving during snowstorms, I would presume.