Thursday 24 January 2019

Hoar frost or rime ice?


This wire fence at Watchtree was amazing. But is it hoar frost or soft rime? Both produce spikes like this. Hoar frost is formed when the air becomes supersaturated with water vapour. At any given temperature, the air can hold a certain amount of water vapour invisibly before becoming saturated and forming condensed water droplets (ie fog). As the temperature drops, the air can hold less water vapour. Normally, this means that fog forms (it's how clouds form as water vapour condenses in rising air as it cools). Under certain conditions, the excess water vapour doesn't condense - the air holds too much water vapour for its temperature and is supersaturated. If that hits a surface that is below freezing point, it freezes instantly to become hoar frost. For rime ice, the water vapour condenses first in the air before freezing onto the object. This makes rime more directional. If there is a breeze, then the spikes grow into the wind. Since there were spikes on the far side of the fence but not the near side, this may be rime.