Ice accretion

From Glossary of Meteorology



ice accretion[edit | edit source]

The process by which a layer of ice (icing) builds up on solid objects that are exposed to freezing precipitation or to supercooled fog or cloud droplets.

At the earth's surface this usually refers to glaze formation, and the amount of ice can be roughly measured by an ice-accretion indicator. For airborne objects, ice accretion refers to any type of aircraft icing.
See accretion.


  1. (Sometimes incorrectly called coagulation.) In cloud physics, usually the growth of an ice hydrometeor by collision with supercooled cloud drops that freeze wholly or partially upon contact.
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