In science class, Kelly learned when water freezes and crystallizes in the atmosphere, it becomes ice crystals or snow. Snowflakes are simply collections of ice crystals. The crystals usually have a six-sided structure due to the natural arrangement of the oxygen and hydrogen atoms. Snowflakes appear in an infinite variety of forms. It has been hypothesized that no two snowflakes are identical.
Snow may be suspended in the clouds indefinitely, fall to the earth and melt, or fall to the earth and remain frozen. About 23% of the earth’s surface is covered by snow at any given time. Most of the snow-covered areas are located in the polar regions.
Snow that remains on the ground is constantly rearranged by a variety of forces, including wind (drifting), temperature (melting), and gravity (formation of ice and avalanches). Snow also provides a source of fresh water when it melts.
If the surface of the earth is approximately 57,900,000 square miles, about how many square miles are covered with snow?