Snowflakes Are Alive

As we move into March and leave winter behind, it's probably safe to discuss snowflakes again without inspiring a cacophony of curses and nervous tics.

At least, that's what I thought because it turns out the occasionally scenic precipitation is not just the ice crystal we previously believed, but formed around a group of biological particulates. Let me reiterate this: in the middle of every snowflake there is a colony of living things.

Scientists were investigating how the snowflakes formed in the upper troposphere, where the temperature is approximately -40 degrees C/F (celsius and fahrenheit are the same at that point), and ice has difficulty forming. The answer: biological catalysts. The study in the journal Science examined snow from five sites worldwide to remove the possibility of the biologics being a local phenomenon. Despite some variation--imply what you will from France and America having the highest concentrations of these bacteria-- the Pseudomonas syringae were indeed present golbally.

Info from Ars Technia

By new Environmental Graffiti contributor Ben Ray. Ben is a freelance writer, check him out at What's Required

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