Life in the clouds: Over 3,000 compounds and seven species of bacteria found in HAILSTONES (so it’s probably not a good idea to eat snow)
Worldwide, Daily news | ankakh | January 26, 2013 22:50
At first glance they may look like they have fallen from the sky in a clean and perfect form – but hailstones and clouds are actually filled with bacteria and over 3,000 chemical compounds, scientists revealed today.
The Danish researchers analyzed hailstones recovered after a storm in May 2009 and found that they carried several species of bacteria typically found on plants and almost 3000 different compounds usually found in soil.
The team say their finding could have major implications for our understanding of weather patterns, and that certain bacteria may even trigger hailstorms.
According to the authors, the findings may help understand how clouds work
Some of the bacterial species can seed the tiny ice crystals that lead to rain, suggesting they play a role in causing rain, the researchers believe.
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