The Possible Importance of Electrical Forces in the Development of Snow Cornices

Abstract

Measurements were made of the vertical electric field Strength around snow cornices on Bridger Ridge (2 590 m a.s.l.) in the Bridger Range, South-western Montana. The fields were considerably enhanced, owing to the exposed position of the cornices, but were nevertheless appreciably lower than those shown by Latham and Saunders (1970[b]) to be necessary in order to provide significant additional bonding when ice crystals collide with an ice surface. However, measurements made on Bridger Ridge and neighbouring Bangtail Ridge showed that the charges carried on snow crystals saltating over the surface of cornices were close to their limiting values.Rough calculations indicated that pressure melting is unlikely to be of importance in the development of snow cornices formed from granular crystals, that frictional melting is probably significant only at fairly low temperatures and moderately high wind velocities, and that strong electrostatic forces between highly charged snow crystals saltating over the surface of a cornice may be sufficient to provide bonding where the crystal velocities are comparatively low.