A dentist’s scanner took detailed 3D images of big hailstones’ insides for the first time. These clear pictures could help predict storms that create such damaging ice.
“The images were amazing,” said Carme Farnell Barqué from Spain. “We saw different layers in the hailstones without breaking them.”
The hail fell during a strong storm in Spain in 2022. It caused casualties, injuries, and lots of damage. The largest hailstones measured 12 cm in diameter.
After the storm, Farnell Barqué and her team collected 14 hailstones from people who saved them in freezers.
Hailstones form when water layers freeze on an ice particle during a storm. The CT scanner showed unique layers within the hailstones.
This discovery could help forecast hailstone sizes in future storms better.
