Science & Technology
'Ice-lollies' have been found in the clouds
By
T.K. RandallJune 20, 2017 ·
5 comments
There's more up in the clouds than meets the eye. Image Credit: CC 2.0 JDP90
Scientists have identified a unique type of ice formation that can be found two kilometers up in the air.
Stavros Keppas and colleagues from the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Science made the discovery during a recent research flight over the northeast Atlantic Ocean.
They noticed that the ice had started to form in a particularly unusual shape which closely resembled that of an ice-lolly with a long stick-shape of ice attached to a spherical head.
"Ice-lollies are the product of the collision between an ice column and a liquid water droplet in the air," said Keppas. "Ice splinters are created at temperatures between -3C and -8C in the cloud and instantly freeze any water droplet they touch, creating these unusual ice-lolly shapes."
"The Ice crystals grow into distinctive and somewhat predictable shapes, depending on the temperature, amount of water vapour and humidity."
Sadly though, there is little chance of actually harvesting these particular ice-lollies as they measure a mere one millimeter in length and can only be found at high altitude.
They are however much more common than anyone had ever realized.
"Recent advances in measurement techniques allow us to see meteorological phenomena with more precision than ever before," said Keppas. "Now we can identify unique formations such as these and begin to understand their complexity even more."
Source:
Sky News |
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