Observation of surface crystal sublimation during frosting

Abstract

Morphological variation of surface ice crystals on a cooling surface during frosting was visually observed using a microscope. In the full growth stage of a frost layer, unusual sublimation started from the root of a prism-like crystal together with the growth of other nearby plate crystals. Under different environmental conditions, the sublimation could proceed in two ways: snapped at the neck or melted in the crown. Local negative saturation induced by the coupled distributions of temperature and humidity is proposed for interpreting this phenomenon.