Rd. Borys et al., ASSESSMENT OF ICE PARTICLE GROWTH-PROCESSES AT DYE-3, GREENLAND, Atmospheric environment. Part A, General topics, 27(17-18), 1993, pp. 2815-2822
As part of the DGASP program on the Greenland Ice Sheet, an investigat
ion was conducted into the nature of ice particle formation processes
that result in the formation of snow. Ice particle habits were determi
ned using Formvar replicas of falling snow crystals. From these measur
ements an assessment of the primary growth process and altitude of for
mation was made. Results indicate that the scavenging of cloud water b
y falling ice particles, growth by accretion or riming, rarely occurs.
However, when riming does occur, it is usually associated with warmer
air masses from the south. The occurrence of riming was also observed
to be dependent on the season, with a greater frequency occuring duri
ng warmer months. It was estimated that ice particle riming contribute
s less than 5% of the average annual water mass, but up to 30% of the
deposition of some chemical species, deposited to the Greenland Ice Sh
eet at Dye 3. Ice particle habits indicate that they originate at high
er altitudes above the ice cap in summer than in winter. Variations in
the magnitude of ice particle riming, the elevation of origin of ice
particles, the meteorology and the season of the year are all essentia
l when interpreting snow chemistry and comparing snow and aerosol chem
istry at Dye 3.