The key to more accurate rainfall predictions may lie in the intricate dance of falling snowflakes, a new study has found.
The key to more accurate rainfall predictions may lie in the intricate dance of falling snowflakes, a new study has found.
The research, observing the physical motion of falling ice crystals, will help scientists better estimate where and when these crystals will melt into raindrops, a crucial stage in the formation of many types of rain.
Published today (Thursday 10 October) in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, the study involved scientists watching how fake snowflakes fell in a substance imitating the atmosphere.
Jennifer Stout, who led the research, said: "Watching snow gently falling can be mesmerising, so it has been a joy to uncover the ways in which different ice crystal shapes pirouette and zigzag on their downwards journey.
Read more at University of Reading
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