David Travis, a professor of geography and geology and an associate dean at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, has studied the phenomenon of large chunks of ice falling from a clear sky. He said it's possible the ice could have been a megacryometeor — "similar to a hailstone, but without the thunderstorm."
Travis is part of a research team that has documented more than 50 possible megacryometeor cases during the past five years. Some involve ice chunks the size of microwave ovens.
"It is hard to keep something like that suspended in air without a thunderstorm," Travis said.
Most megacryometeor sightings have occurred in coastal areas, where atmospheric turbulence helps keep ice suspended long enough to grow into large chunks.
Travis' research team speculates the phenomenon could be linked to global warming, suggesting that climate change might make the tropopause portion of the atmosphere colder, moister and more turbulent.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070727/ap_on_fe_st/odd_falling_ice;_ylt=AmqM3S1NGwcWQG.RJ9cBX9kuQE4F
2007-07-28
14:35:08
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