What process turns water vapor directly into ice without first becoming liquid water?

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The process that turns water vapor directly into ice without first becoming liquid water is deposition.

Deposition is a phase transition from gas to solid. In the atmosphere, water vapor can deposit onto a cold surface or onto an ice crystal, building frost or contributing to the growth of snow crystals. The reverse process, in which a solid changes directly into a gas, is sublimation.

Deposition is important inside cold clouds. Ice crystals can grow as water vapor deposits onto them, helping form snowflakes and other ice particles. Frost on grass and windows is another familiar example when the surface is cold enough.

Condensation is different: it changes vapor into liquid water, such as droplets in a cloud or on a bathroom mirror. Freezing changes liquid water into ice, so it is not the correct term when liquid water is skipped.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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