Heterogeneous Nucleation: The process by which ice formation is initiated on a foreign surface or particle, in contrast to homogeneous nucleation which occurs in pure water.

The colder that water gets, the smaller this energy barrier gets. This makes it easier for random molecular motions to push a tiny embryonic ice structure over the critical size threshold. Ice forms ...

This process may make the upper mesosphere, or middle layer of Venus' atmosphere, "supersaturated" with both amorphous solid water and crystalline carbon dioxide ice, the study authors proposed.

This process, which occurs constantly in the atmosphere, is called nucleation. Clouds in the atmosphere can be made up of liquid water droplets, ice particles or a mixture of the two.

NEW ORLEANS, March 20, 2024 — From abstract-looking cloud formations to roars of snow machines on ski slopes, the transformation of liquid water into solid ice touches many facets of life. Water’s ...

This process may make the upper mesosphere, or middle layer of Venus' atmosphere, "supersaturated" with both amorphous solid water and crystalline carbon dioxide ice, the study authors proposed.