Description

A megacryometeor is a very large chunk of ice which, despite sharing many textural, hydro-chemical, and isotopic features found in large hailstones, is formed under unusual atmospheric conditions which clearly differ from those of the cumulonimbus cloud scenario (i.e clear sky conditions). They are sometimes called huge hailstones, but unlike hailstones do not need to form under thunderstorm conditions.

Mass and size

More than 50 megacryometeors have been recorded since 2000. They vary in mass between 0.5 Kg to several tens of kilograms. One in Brazil weighed in at more than 50 Kg.