Atmospheric icing

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/atmospheric-icing

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the physical process?Contact freezing of supercooled liquid water droplets on surfaces below freezing point
2. What is the geographical influence?Elevated terrain significantly enhances icing potential by promoting supercooled cloud formation
3. Why does ice form on mountains more often?Mountains push moist air upward, which cools and creates supercooled clouds. This makes more ice droplets that can freeze on things, especially in colder months.
4. How can ice be dangerous for airplanes?When ice sticks to the wings, it changes their shape and makes the plane slower and harder to steer. This can even cause the plane to lose control.

Supercooled liquid water: Water that remains in a liquid state at temperatures below its normal freezing point (0°C or 32°F).
Contact freezing: The process by which a supercooled liquid freezes upon touching a solid surface.
Liquid water content (LWC): The amount of liquid water present in a given volume of air, a key parameter in icing intensity.
Numerical icing models: Computer simulations that predict the formation and accumulation of atmospheric ice based on meteorological inputs.