CAÍDA DE BLOQUES/METEOROS DE HIELO

Página informativa sobre los mal llamados "aerolitos" diseñada y mantenida por Jesús Martínez-Frías
Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Associated to the NASA Astrobiology Institute

The increase of these extreme atmospheric events (Megacryometeors) could be a new type of fingerprint (geoindicator) of Climate Change. This was already  proposed by our research team in January 2000 (Martinez-Frias et al. 2000). http://www.climatehotmap.org/ Atmospheric megacryometeors could be a new type of fingerprint (geoindicator) of Climate Change. Tropospheric Global Warming (and mainly Stratosperic Cooling) might be making the tropopause colder, moister and more turbulent, creating conditions in which ice crystals could grow, forming, unusually and much more recurrently, large ice conglomerations. The term megacryometeor was coined (Martinez-Frias & Travis, 2002) to name large atmospheric ice conglomeration which, despite sharing many textural, hydrochemical and isotopic features detected in large hailstones, are formed under unusual atmospheric conditions which clearly differ from those of the cumulonimbus clouds scenario (i.e. clear-sky conditions).  Megacryometeors are not the classical big hailstones, ice from aircrafts (waste water or tank leakage), nor the simple result of icing processes at high altitudes. A detailed historical review of such ice fall events confirms that there are many documented references of falls of large blocks of ice which go back to the first half of the 19th century (previous to the invention of the aircrafts), it also reveals that, mainly after 1950, the number of megacryometeor hits has spectacularly increased. More than 100 events have been witnessed and recorded, affecting practically the whole planet (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Colombia, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and USA). Climate change can be manifest in different ways giving rise to different types of impacts. We suggest one monitor these megacryometeor events because they can not only be a potential natural hazard for people, aviation, etc, but perhaps they are also signals of more serious environmental problems. The increase of these extreme atmospheric events, their hydrochemical and isotopic composition (clearly tropospheric), and the anomalous tropopause behaviour and other significant factors detected coinciding with the ice falls (increase in humidity (near saturation but with no condensation), ozone anomalies and wind shear), all suggest the hypothesis that megacryometeors could be a new type of fingerprint (geoindicator) of Climate Change.

The climate is changing! The IPCC is honored with the Nobel Peace Prize (see Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) The research of the historical record of ice falls brings together many cases that are apparently similar. Practically all clear-sky ice falls were not appropriately researched because they were routinely assigned, without verification, to aircraft icing processes, to wastewater from aircraft lavatories (blue ice), or to the leakage of aircraft water tanks. A simplistic analysis of these events as a whole can lead to misunderstanding because different types of ice falls correspond to different formation scenarios in the earth’s atmosphere, either natural in the strict sense of the term, or with a direct or indirect relation with human activities. Consequently, it is necessary to define differentiation criteria (e.g., texture, and structural and compositional characteristics of the ice) to distinguish among them. Since January 2000, our research team is the only one that: a) has studied these events and analyzed the ice by using different techniques (stable isotopes, ICP-MS, DSC, Raman spectroscopy, GC-MS, etc), coining  a new term (megacryometeor); b) has published the experimental results and hypothesis in scientific peer-review journals, and c) has proposed a scientific explanation for their atmospheric origin and formation in the Earth atmosphere (the ice is unequivocally tropospheric). Nevertheless, much work is still needed as no geophysical model is able to satisfactorily explain what factors cause the ice nucleation and growth, or how these unusually large ice blocks can be actually formed and maintained in the atmosphere. Only by use of an interdisciplinary approach, including atmospheric and climatic studies, simulation, and analysis of physicochemical experiments of the ice will it be possible to learn the real cause of megacryometeors and the reasons for the apparent multiplication of these objects. But megacryometeors do fall ! Scientific and public outreach information about megacryometeors: Scientific Publications in SCI journlas and international books Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Vol. 83, 12, December 2002 Bosch X. (2002) Great Balls of Ice, Science, News Focus, Meteorology, 297, 765. National Geographic, Geographica, November 2000 New Scientist-Environment/by Ed Douglas Chemical Science (RSC) Katherine Davies Top 100 Stories of 2008 #73/Karen Wright

Observations suggest that: (1) the mixing ratio of water vapour in the stratosphere has increased by 20–50% from the 1960s to the mid-1990s and 
(2) interchanges of water vapour, favoured by tropopause disturbances, can play a central role in atmospheric chemistry, influencing heterogeneous chemical reactions, with subsequent implications in climate change, as part of a global long-term trend. Cooler stratospheric temperatures appear when there is more water vapor present, and water vapor also leads to the breakdown of ozone molecules.

It is crucial to understand all effects of Climate Change! Brown and black regions are relatively dry in the upper troposphere. White regions are mostly cloud-free moist air, or thin cirrus clouds. Colored regions are thick, moist clouds.
 

Megacryometeor fell in Asturias, Spain, 2000

Small impact crater generated by a megacryometeor  (Oakland, USA, 2006)

Tampa Bay, Florida, USA.  28 January 2007

Sweden

USA

Spain

New Zealand Italy

PUBLICACIONES SELECCIONADAS SOBRE MEGACRÍOMETEOROS EN REVISTAS CIENTÍFICAS Y EN LIBROS INTERNACIONALES Journal of Environmental Monitoring (2008) Martinez-Frias & Rodriguez-Losada (2007) AMBIO: Journal of the Human Environment (2006) Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry (2005) Journal of Chromatography A (2002) AMBIO: Journal of the Human Environment (2001) Geotimes. American Geological Institute (2000) Enseñanza de las Ciencias de la Tierra (2000) Ayala & Olcina (2002) Spanish scientific book on Natural Hazards

 

2010 (dos casos) España, USA

2009 (seis casos) Canada, UK , USA (3), Brazil

2008 (seis casos) USA (5), UK (1)

2007 (catorce casos) USA (9), Holanda (2), España (1), UK (1), Argentina (1)

2006 (diez casos)	2005 (catorce casos)	2004 (diez casos)	2003 (ocho casos)
India, USA (7), UK, Sudáfrica	Japón (2), Holanda, UK (2), USA (6), España (3)	Holanda, UK (2), Suecia, USA (4), Nueva Zelanda, España	Holanda (2), Canadá (1), USA (4), Italia (1)
2002 (ocho casos)	2001 (dos casos)	2000 (numerosos casos)	PUBLICACIONES
Portugal, UK, México, Holanda, España (3), USA	España, Australia	Canada, Austria, Holanda, UK, Italia, España, Colombia, Argentina	CONTACTO

Estudio de un fenómeno atmosférico que se produce en muchos países del mundo. Existen abundantes y bien documentadas referencias que verifican que estos eventos se producían antes de la invención de los aviones

Varios diccionarios y enciclopedias (e.g. The FreeDictionary.com , Science Fair Project Encyclopedia , Nodeworks , Biography , Chemistrydaily , Onelang, Wikipedia , Dictionary of Meaning , Logic Jungle Internet Directory and Encyclopedia , LearnThis Encyclopedia , Nationmaster Encyclopedia , Answers.com , BrainyEncyclopedia , Arthistoryclub , etc.) incorporan y definen el término "megacryometeor"

La prestigiosa revista Science ha destacado en una "News Focus" la investigación que estamos desarrollando y los principales resultados, publicaciones e hipótesis de trabajo, contribuyendo a la elevación del nivel de debate y a su internacionalización con la participación de expertos de reconocido prestigio internacional (Ver Noticia(cortesía del CSIC) y artículo Great Balls of Ice! (cortesía de Science)

El Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society" ha destacado  nuestra investigación y resultados.  Bulletin of the American Meteorological  Society, Vol. 83, 12, Diciembre 2002