Crystal Snowflake

We slide in it, make snowmen and forts with it and even try to catch it on our tongues! Winter's wondrous gift of the snowflake turns months of frigid cold into a season of joyful play and incredible beauty. Anyone who hasever had the good fortune to catch a snowflake on their glove knows that its intricate shape can take your breath away. As water vapour freezes within a cloud, temperature, wind and humidity will influence thesize and shape of the ice crystals that fall to the ground. Sometimesthey will clump together to form large, wet flakes. Or, they'll fall as dry, powdery snow. But if the conditions are just right and theice crystals can grow large and drift gently earthward without clumping together, the result is a flurry of endless masterpieces those elaborate star-shaped flakes. The unassuming snowflake yields significant influence wherever it falls. More than play, it defines Canada's geography, wildlife, environment and economy, demanding significant research efforts to understand how snow and ice work and how to function within the challenging conditions they create. With so much of its activity dependent upon and shaped by winter's frozen marvels, Canadahas become known internationally for its scientific contributions to snow and ice research, such as the world's most accurate gauge forrecording snowfall and automated sensors that measure snow accumulation and melt on major glaciers and ice sheets. Yet, despite the science, Canada's love of the simple snowflake prevails.

CRYSTAL SNOWFLAKES - CRYSTAL SNOWFLAKE - 2006 CANADIAN COINS 01 is categorised COINS AND PAPER MONEY / 08- ROYAL CANADIAN MINT / 04- 14-KARAT GOLD and sold by l'Imaginaire, a store and specialised website.