Re: Squeeky Snow

[Joel Rauber <Joel_Rauber@SDSTATE.EDU>]

Amazing, I was just about to post a similar item, it being -10 here in SD.
I've assumed that it is some sort of a phase change in the snow, as it seems
to be quite pronounced; but I wouldn't stake much on that idea.  My
impression is that the temperature is warmer than Doug quotes.  I'd suggest
that just about any negative temperature (Fahrenheit); and maybe even in the
early single digits can one notice a squeaky snow effect.

Joel Rauber
Joel_Rauber@sdstate.edu

(Born in Georgia, where one rarely hears squeaky snow.)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: phys-l@lists.nau.edu: Forum for Physics Educators
> [mailto:PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu]On Behalf Of Doug Craigen
> Sent: Monday, December 18, 2000 8:00 PM
> To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
> Subject: Squeeky Snow
>
>
> A conversation from last week has got me wondering.  The fellow was
> reminiscing about living in Thompson (northern Manitoba) and what it was
> like at -50 F (approx -45 C).  One of the things he mentioned was the
> snow squeeking.  Afterwards I got to thinking that I've often heard
> squeeky snow  but hadn't given it any thought.  In fact, it was about
> -30 and I noticed the snow squeeked a bit as I went about that day.  So
> I've queried a few other people on the subject, and it seems that nobody
> I know has ever stopped to really thing about it or pay much heed.  The
> general consensus is that it begins somewhere in the -20's.  So in case
> anybody here has ever looked into it:
>
> 1) is it the snow that squeeks, or is it the boots rubbing against it?
> 2) what is the mechanism?  At some particular temperature does it lose
> some kind of lubrication that normally makes it slick enough to not
> squeek?  I recall something about a thin water film on the surface of
> ice, which provides the basic slickness.  Does the snow squeek when that
> film reaches some critical thinness?
>
> Just curious.
>
>
> \_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\
>
> Doug Craigen
>           http://www.dctech.com/physics/about_dc.html