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Polarization
Ordinarily, light is made up of waves that travel in multiple directions. Polarizing light makes sure that only light waves traveling in a certain direction can pass through and when light waves are all going in the same direction, the light is polarized. Polarizing light is essential for viewing ice crystals, which are examined to find out more about the formation of the ice in different places and under varying conditions.
Refraction
Light waves traveling through one substance into another change speed depending on the medium in which they are traveling. The change in speed can also causes a change in the direction of the waves, which is referred to as refraction.
Light
To see ice crystals in a sliver of ice, the ice core is placed between two polarizers and light is shined from below. Once light is polarized, all light waves that hit the ice are similarly aligned. Each of the ice crystals has a slightly different structure and alignment. Due to these differences, each ice crystal refracts light differently. The light coming out of the crystals is passed through another polarizer that will only let through light that is orientated in its direction. The final image that is viewed shows shaded areas that correspond to different ice crystals.