Comments on: Mysteries: San Juan Snow Spirals http://coloradomountainjournal.com/2009/11/23/mysteries-san-juan-snow-spirals/ The Colorado Mountain Journal Fri, 21 May 2010 21:39:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: steve http://coloradomountainjournal.com/2009/11/23/mysteries-san-juan-snow-spirals/comment-page-1/#comment-20 steve Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:52:03 +0000 http://coloradomountainjournal.com/?p=222#comment-20 Possibly, this is the same occurrence of a raised skin track on a micro scale. Winds swirl around randomly in trees, moving the heated particles over the fresh snow leaving a track. Then, just the slightest breeze creates the visible raised track of the object. I will keep my eyes peeled for this in the elk mountains. Sweet observation! Yeah for the BIG ONE!!! Possibly, this is the same occurrence of a raised skin track on a micro scale. Winds swirl around randomly in trees, moving the heated particles over the fresh snow leaving a track. Then, just the slightest breeze creates the visible raised track of the object.

I will keep my eyes peeled for this in the elk mountains.

Sweet observation!

Yeah for the BIG ONE!!!

]]> By: andrew http://coloradomountainjournal.com/2009/11/23/mysteries-san-juan-snow-spirals/comment-page-1/#comment-19 andrew Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:27:28 +0000 http://coloradomountainjournal.com/?p=222#comment-19 Wow, cool phenomenon. Seems like the needle will absorb enough radiation from the sun to cause melting and free water will form a large droplet connected to the debris due to the polarity/hydorphilic nature of it, etc. Then the water droplet/debris entity will flow to the area of snow with the lowest density/ largest pore space. The random looking track is probably due to the random nature in which snow is initially deposited. Sweet photo, Michael! Wow, cool phenomenon. Seems like the needle will absorb enough radiation from the sun to cause melting and free water will form a large droplet connected to the debris due to the polarity/hydorphilic nature of it, etc. Then the water droplet/debris entity will flow to the area of snow with the lowest density/ largest pore space. The random looking track is probably due to the random nature in which snow is initially deposited. Sweet photo, Michael!

]]> By: kurt http://coloradomountainjournal.com/2009/11/23/mysteries-san-juan-snow-spirals/comment-page-1/#comment-8 kurt Fri, 27 Nov 2009 02:03:01 +0000 http://coloradomountainjournal.com/?p=222#comment-8 nice question. I've noticed these too! I thought they looked like tracks from little bugs... But I like your explanation better: needles (or other debris) get hot in the sun. Hot needles melt snow. water floats needle. water surface tension makes needle move Here is where I maybe I have a new idea: needle moves to highest point of water (to the side... like a cork in a glass of water). If there were no other variables, the needle could go anywhere... Not necessarily towards the sun. The needle would tend to continue moving in one direction... because after settling on one side of the "glass" it would melt the snow there. It might turn because any infinite number of reasons... imperfections in the snow, wind, other debris, sun on one side of he needle... etc. This would explain random gradual turns. continuous gradual turns (like spirals) are harder to explain... shape of the needle? rotation of the earth? ha ha... thanks! nice question. I’ve noticed these too! I thought they looked like tracks from little bugs…

But I like your explanation better: needles (or other debris) get hot in the sun. Hot needles melt snow. water floats needle. water surface tension makes needle move

Here is where I maybe I have a new idea:

needle moves to highest point of water (to the side… like a cork in a glass of water). If there were no other variables, the needle could go anywhere… Not necessarily towards the sun.

The needle would tend to continue moving in one direction… because after settling on one side of the “glass” it would melt the snow there. It might turn because any infinite number of reasons… imperfections in the snow, wind, other debris, sun on one side of he needle… etc. This would explain random gradual turns.

continuous gradual turns (like spirals) are harder to explain… shape of the needle? rotation of the earth?

ha ha…

thanks!

]]> By: Michael Barton http://coloradomountainjournal.com/2009/11/23/mysteries-san-juan-snow-spirals/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Michael Barton Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:38:18 +0000 http://coloradomountainjournal.com/?p=222#comment-6 The track itself is as wide as a small piece of debris from a pine tree, about 2 mil. The spirals are sometimes as large as 10 cm across. The track itself is as wide as a small piece of debris from a pine tree, about 2 mil. The spirals are sometimes as large as 10 cm across.

]]> By: Cam Burns http://coloradomountainjournal.com/2009/11/23/mysteries-san-juan-snow-spirals/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Cam Burns Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:32:31 +0000 http://coloradomountainjournal.com/?p=222#comment-5 How wide are these spirals? How wide are these spirals?

]]> By: admin http://coloradomountainjournal.com/2009/11/23/mysteries-san-juan-snow-spirals/comment-page-1/#comment-3 admin Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:48:44 +0000 http://coloradomountainjournal.com/?p=222#comment-3 Crop circles? Crop circles?

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