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NOTES ON PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, 

 AND MINERALOGY 



ICE AND SNOW 



Notes by DOUGLAS MAWSON, B.Sc, B.E. 



rpHE most interesting results were obtained in a study 

 ^ of ice in all its forms, the temperature conditions in 

 such a climate producing phenomena hardly to be realized 

 by the student of more temperate regions. At tempera- 

 tures even far below freezing-point, snow is able to com- 

 pact itself and become quite hard by a slow process of 

 vaporisation and recrystallisation. The tendency is for 

 the smaller snow particles to disappear and the larger to be 

 added to at their expense, and when other conditions are 

 suitable well-formed crystals are built up in this way. 

 Thus well-developed hexagonal barrel-shaped crystals of 

 ice were found developed on a seal's liver, which had been 

 buried during the winter. 



Variations in atmospheric temperatures were always 

 accompanied by phenomena such as this; for example, at 

 times of falling temperature, no matter through what 

 limits, a development of spicular ice formed over all ex- 

 posed objects. This accompanied a fall of even, say, from 

 50° Fahr. to 60° Fahr. below freezing-point. Serious 

 interference with spectroscopic work was thus introduced 

 on account of the camera lens becoming thickly coated 

 with ice. A similar phenomenon was continually produced 

 in a small laboratory built as an adjunct to the hut. This 



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