It’s been over twenty days since the winter solstice, yet here in downtown Toronto, we’ve only been able to experience snow a few times. Some speculate that it’s a result of climate change; others say it’s just one of those year-to-year variations. Meanwhile, we can’t help but be amazed by its beauty: that feeling of walking through clouds, the power of its whiteness illuminating the frosty night… it’s indescribable.
What can you say when you have the chance to appreciate snowflakes? To see in that tiny particle the perfection of the universe, as each one is unique and, at the same time, when they rest on top of each other, they transform into a whole, into a beautiful earthly cloud.
In that moment of contemplation, their majestic presence makes us wonder: what’s the science behind this? Well, this extraordinary phenomenon is called “nucleation” by scientists. In this process, a water molecule incorporates itself around a speck of dust or pollen, giving life to an ice crystal (snowflake). As it falls through the atmosphere, additional water molecules join it, causing the crystal to grow.
Now, the reason why its shape varies from one to another is basically because during the aforementioned process, the temperature, humidity, and concentration of water molecules in the air are unique. Therefore, these conditions affect where and how these molecules will join the crystal, and consequently, its final shape.
It’s truly fascinating, isn’t it? And even more so if we take this natural phenomenon as a mirror of our own being. Perhaps it’s a reminder for us to accept our uniqueness, as it’s our personal experiences that make us who we are.
It’s possible that, when we look around, we believe we’re a less beautiful, smaller, or deformed snowflake. However, by remembering that we are part of a whole and that our peculiarity is perfectly necessary for the balance of the universe, perhaps we can adopt a more fluid attitude. Like ice crystals, let’s immerse ourselves in the here and now to fully enjoy life. Maybe that’s the answer.
References:
Hsu, C. (2018, January 16). The Chemistry of Snowflakes, explained. University at Buffalo. https://www.buffalo.edu/news/tipsheets/2018/001.html
Libbrecht, K. (2008). The enigmatic snowflake. Physics World, 21(01), 19–23. doi:10.1088/2058-7058/21/01/28
