TERMIUM Plus^®

Record 1,  Textual support,  English

Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 DEF

One of the many geometrical forms in which ice crystals are found in the atmosphere.  2, record 1, English, - hexagonal%20column

Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 CONT

The dominant snow crystal illustrated ... is a hexagonal plate with six radiating arms. However, associated with the surface of the central plate and extending into the arms are numerous spherical "droplets". These particles, which are about 0.03 to 0.05 mm in diameter, are consistent with the descriptions of cloud particles or supercooled water droplets that have been described in light microscopic examinations of snow crystals (Bentley and Humphreys, 1931; Nakaya, 1954). The radiating arms contain another type of surface structure, namely small microcrystals that consist of short hexagonal columns most of which are only 0.05 to 0.10 mm in diameter. Some of these structures appear to be transitional stages that arise from the droplets.  3, record 1, English, - hexagonal%20column

Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 OBS

Snowflakes can be described by their geometric shapes, or variations of them, such as prismatic column, hexagonal plate, cup, hexagonal column, needle, flat plate, and dendrite.  4, record 1, English, - hexagonal%20column

Record 1,  Textual support,  French

Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 CONT

Il est essentiel qu'il y ait des cirrus ou des cirrostratus, car c'est grâce à eux que sont formés les halos. Ces nuages élevés sont formés de cristaux de glace circulant uniquement dans les plus hautes couches de la troposphère. Le phénomène des halos est causé par la réfraction et la réflexion de la lumière sur ces minuscules cristaux de glace. [...] Le halo résulte de la chute désordonnée de colonnes hexagonales, mais seules les colonnes orientées correctement à tout moment arriveront à créer les halos.  1, record 1, French, - colonne%20hexagonale

Record 1,  Textual support,  Spanish