[FRIAM] A fractal question - snow

[Jonathan Wolfe]

	I believe that that this hypothesis is incorrect. My understanding of  
the matter is that the snowflakes form patterns that reflect the  
current ambient conditions they are encountering. The dominant  
variables are temperature and humidity. In drier conditions the flake  
forms more fine-detailed spikey patterns, and in wetter conditions it  
forms more solid plate-like structures. As a snowflake travels through  
the atmosphere, it encounters changing temperature and moisture, which  
result in a varying morphology from the center of the flake outwards.  
In other words, the structure of each branch of the flake records the  
history of the atmospheric conditions of its journey. Since no two  
snowflakes follow the same path in the turbulent swirling of the  
air... no two snowflakes will have the same shape.
	It is possible to grow very similar flakes in carefully controlled  
conditions, as can be seen at http://www.snowcrystals.com, and so the  
results of the proposed experiment would likely reflect the conditions  
of the snow-making apparatus more than the structure of the starting  
seed. Still, it would be interesting to try. I've dissected a lot of  
things, but never a snowflake!
	Snowflakes are only pseudo-fractals at best, as they do not typically  
show much self-similarity beyond one or two orders of branching. But  
like many fractals, they do embody the chaotic processes that formed  
them.

-Jonathan Wolfe, Ph.D.
Executive Director
http://www.FractalFoundation.org
Next First Friday Fractals show: March 7th
Fractals are SMART: Science, Math & Art!


On Feb 25, 2008, at 8:08 AM, Pamela McCorduck wrote:

> A biologist writes me a question about fractals that I cannot answer:
>
> "If a small portion is dissected out of a snowflake and suspended in  
> supersaturated cold air will new water molecules condense on it as a  
> scaffolding and thereby perpetuate the pattern of the snowflake from  
> which the seed was dissected?"
>
> Can anyone here answer?
>
>
>
>
>
> "I happen to miss the Constitution; I thought it was a good document."
>
> 						Samantha  
> Power============================================================
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