Yes, snow can turn to ice.
As snow accumulates, the weight of the upper layers compresses the snowflakes below. This compression forces the air out and causes the snowflakes to break down and recrystallize into denser, granular ice. Also, melted snow can refreeze, forming ice.
Here's a breakdown of how this process works:
- Compression: The increasing weight of fresh snow compacts the underlying layers. Fresh snow is composed of approximately 90% air.
- Granular Ice Formation: The compression reduces the air space between the snowflakes. The delicate crystalline structures of the snowflakes begin to break down, forming smaller, rounded ice grains.
- Melt-Freeze Cycles: When the temperature fluctuates around freezing, some snow melts. This meltwater then refreezes, filling the spaces between the snow grains and solidifying the snowpack. This process contributes to the transformation of snow into denser ice.
- Firn Formation: Over time, the compacted snow undergoes further densification and transformation, eventually becoming firn, which is an intermediate stage between snow and glacial ice.
- Glacial Ice Formation: As firn is buried deeper and subjected to even greater pressure, it transforms into glacial ice, which is very dense.
In summary, the transformation of snow into ice is a gradual process involving compression, recrystallization, and melt-freeze cycles.
