# Toward a Comprehensive Model of Snow Crystal Growth: 6. Ice Attachment Kinetics near -5 C

Source: [Toward a Comprehensive Model of Snow Crystal Growth: 6. Ice Attachment Kinetics near -5 C](<https://www.sota2.com/research/paper/68fa3b051e209131ce8cf3d6>)

Collection index: [llms.txt](<https://www.sota2.com/research/llms.txt>)

Data updated: 2025-10-28T13:54:12.900Z

Authors: Kenneth G. Libbrecht

Published: 2019-12-06T17:05:01.000Z

## Abstract

I examine a variety of snow crystal growth measurements taken at a temperature of -5 C, as a function of supersaturation, background gas pressure, and crystal morphology. Both plate-like and columnar prismatic forms are observed under different conditions at this temperature, along with a diverse collection of complex dendritic structures. The observations can all be reasonably understood using a single comprehensive physical model for the basal and prism attachment kinetics, together with particle diffusion of water vapor through the surrounding medium and other well-understood physical processes. A critical model feature is structure-dependent attachment kinetics (SDAK), for which the molecular attachment kinetics on a faceted surface depend strongly on the nearby mesoscopic structure of the crystal.

## Recorded benchmark results

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## Original sources and implementation

[Original paper](<https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.03230>)

[PDF](<https://arxiv.org/pdf/1912.03230.pdf>)