SCIENCE

Vol.170 p.1395. Dec. 1970

Abstract.

The ejection of micro-droplets from the surface of a freezing super-cooled water drop has been observed and photographed. The fragmentation of a freezing drop in the forms of splintering, shattering, or bursting has been known for some times. This newly observed phenomenon of the ejection of numerous micro-droplets, the duration of their ejection, and the electrical properties of these droplets suggest a possible mechanism of charge generation in a thundercloud!"