In clouds, water droplets sometimes remain unfrozen in temperatures as low as -38°C (around -36°F). Oftentimes water droplets won’t freeze until they interact with aerosols, dust, or other particles in the air. This process, called “ice nucleation”, can occur at temperatures much higher than the aforementioned -38°C.

The common snow gun relies on speed and cold air to freeze tiny water droplets launched into the air. Through this process, typically just 75% of the water pushed through the guns is actually frozen, leaving 25% to be blown away. Combining the “ice nucleation” process with snowmaking, though, could bring that conversion ratio up to 90%.

The Snow Laboratory (Laboratori de la Neu), run by the Barcelona Institute of Materials Science (ICMAB-CSIC) and FGC Turisme alongside TechnoAlpin, was created to do exactly that. Rather than just blowing water at high speeds, the technique introduces feldspar, a group of minerals that makes up about 50% of all rocks, into the snowmaking process.

According to CNN, with this introduction, snow was able to be produced at temperatures 1 to 1.5 degrees higher than the usual method, reducing energy costs by around 30%. It does all of this, of course, without introducing harmful chemicals to the world around our ski resorts. Feldspar, as mentioned, is already essentially everywhere.

In the mountains of Spain, drought and high-heat has been brutal for resorts like La Molina. The resort’s been forced to rely more and more on artificial snow, but even that is very difficult to create if the temperatures are too warm and there isn’t enough water. So, over the next three years, La Molina will be testing the Snow Laboratory technique.

If this does turn out to be as successful as the Barcelona Institute of Materials Science and FGC Turisme hope, the new technique could be seen around the world. Will it save the ski industry from a changing climate? Probably not, but it might give some places a bit of time to figure out where to go next.

We don’t want all the ski resorts to be closed in five years or 10 years, and not have had time to really think something through for the economy of the regions. This is just to give us some time.” – Albert Verdaguer, lead scientist on the ICMAB-CSIC project

Related: New Hampshire Ski Area Adds Snowmaking System

Image Credit: La Molina via Facebook

Featured Image Credit: TechnoAlpin via YouTube

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