Articles | Volume 19, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-2621-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-2621-2026
Research article
 | 
17 Apr 2026
Research article |  | 17 Apr 2026

Using formvar to capture atmospheric ice crystals and retrieve roughness parameters

Omer Celebi, Andrew R. D. Smedley, Paul Connolly, and Ann R. Webb

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Cited articles

Agar, A. W. and Revell, R. S.: A study of the formvar replica process, British Journal of Applied Physics, https://doi.org/10.1088/0508-3443/7/1/305, 1956. 
Bailey, M. P. and Hallett, J.: A comprehensive habit diagram for atmospheric ice crystals: confirmation from the laboratory, AIRS II, and other field studies, J. Atmos. Sci., 66, 2888–2899, https://doi.org/10.1175/2009JAS2883.1, 2009. 
Baran, A. J., Hill, P., Walters, D., Hardiman, S. C., Furtado, K., Field, P. R., and Manners, J.: The impact of two coupled cirrus microphysics–radiation parameterizations on the temperature and specific humidity biases in the tropical tropopause layer in a climate model, J. Climate, 29, 5299–5316, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-15-0821.1, 2016. 
Butterfield, N., Rowe, P. M., Stewart, E., Roesel, D., and Neshyba, S.: Quantitative three-dimensional ice roughness from scanning electron microscopy, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 122, 3023–3041, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD026094, 2017. 
Collier, C., Hesse, E., Taylor, L., Ulanowski, Z., Penttila, A., and Nousiainen, T.: Effects of surface roughness with two scales on light scattering by hexagonal ice crystals large compared to the wavelength: DDA results, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transf., 182, 225–239, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2016.06.007, 2016. 
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Short summary
The surface structure of ice crystals in clouds influences how sunlight travels through the atmosphere and contributes to uncertainty in climate predictions. Because these features are difficult to observe, we present a practical approach for mapping ice crystal surface structure using an established capture technique. Ice crystals were produced in a laboratory cloud chamber and their surfaces were measured in detail. This approach enables reliable mapping of ice crystal surfaces.
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