Author(s): J. P. Gosink; T. E. Osterkamp
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: A number of frazil ice nucleation mechanisms have been proposed. The most viable mechanisms, under field conditions, appear to involve mass exchange processes at the air-water interface and secondary nucleation. Mass exchange processes include ejecta from the supercooled water-water droplets transferred to the cold air above the water surface by splashing, wind spray, bubble bursting and evaporation. If the air temperature is less than the nucleation temperatures for these water droplets, then some of the water droplets may be spontaneously nucleated in the air above the stream. The resulting ice crystals may then fall into the supercooled water where they can develop into frazil ice crystals. Recent field observations have been made to investigate this frazil ice nucleation mechanism including measurements of the air temperature profile and photographs of water droplets above the surface of supercooled water in a stream. This paper will present calculations, based on the field observations, which further clarify this frazil ice nucleation mechanism.
Year: 1986