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Witness crop destruction by hail and examine a hailstone's interior under polarized light

Witness crop destruction by hail and examine a hailstone's interior under polarized light

Hailstorm sequence, crop damage, and how hail is collected and studied.
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Golf ball-sized hail thwarts farmers anticipating bumper harvest • Nov. 5, 2026, 2:31 PM ET (ABC News (Australia))
'Zeus was angry:' Arizona surveys damage from at least 3 rare tornadoes • Oct. 22, 2026, 4:46 PM ET (AP)

Transcript

NARRATOR: Thunderstorms are often accompanied by hail—accumulations of ice that sometimes descend with devastating force.

Hail is the most destructive form of precipitation; the damage caused by hail amounts to billions of dollars each year.

After a storm, meteorologists collect hailstones to investigate their internal structure. A hailstone that began as a minute ice crystal may grow to a diameter of more than 15 centimeters and weigh over half a kilogram. A thin section is cut from the center of a hailstone. Under polarized light a circular pattern is revealed—strong evidence that hail forms in layers.
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