Snow Science: The physics behind Snowflakes

Synopsis

Snowflakes are commonly depicted a six-sided star with a branch on each side, but they can actually take a variety of different forms. However, the internal molecular mechanism that give rise to the different forms of snowflakes is up for debate and an active area of research among snowologists. Within this talk, I will be showcasing a variety of different snowflakes/snow crystals, as well as detail a basic physical model for snowflake growth. Lastly, we explore changes to the basic model that allow for the transitions expected from the snow crystal morphology diagram and a potential internal molecular mechanism that drives this change.