White Rain Particles
These are fresh water diatom fragments from the
"white rain" that fell in the northwestern US on February 6, 2015.
This sample was from the hood of a car in Richland Washington.
Transmitted Off Circular Polarized Light
Definition/Function:
On February 6, 2015 the rain that fell in Eastern Oregon, Idaho and Eastern Washington
was milk-like in appearance. As it dried it left a white
deposit on everything. Under the microscope it was identified as fine particles from a
Playa containing a large population of diatom fragments and
some sponge spicules.
Significance in the Environment:
This is an example of distant transport of soils from one location to another as a
result of dust storms. In this case the source is probably Nevada
and the deposit was reported as far north as Spokane, Washington, about 500 miles to the
north.
Characteristic Features:
Associated Particles:
