Hailstone cross-section reveals storm's hidden layers
A scientist from Melbourne photographed a sliced hailstone. It is now the cover of Australia's 2027 weather calendar.
Joshua Soderholm is a scientist at the Bureau of Meteorology. He sliced open a hailstone from Brisbane's Halloween 2020 storm.
The photograph shows many layers of ice. Each layer shows the hailstone's path through the thunderstorm.
Near the centre, he found crystal structures that were very detailed. Researchers had never seen structures this clear before.
Soderholm works in Melbourne with the bureau's radar science team. He also has an honorary position at the University of Queensland.
There he studies hailstones from major storms. Each layer tells what happened as the hailstone grew.
The research helps scientists understand how large hailstones form. It also helps improve weather forecasts.
Soderholm works in a freezer below zero. He must work with great care.
One mistake means losing the specimen forever.
- Brisbane Halloween 2020
- Storm date
- Sub-zero freezer
- Work location
- 2027
- Calendar year
- Melbourne
- Researcher location
Why it mattersUnderstanding how hailstones form helps improve weather models. It also improves storm forecasts. This helps protect communities from severe weather.
AustraliaAustralian researchers are advancing meteorology that will improve the accuracy of storm warnings for Australian communities.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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