Ukrainian researchers at the Akademik Vernadsky station in the Antarctic have demonstrated a rare natural phenomenon – snow rolls, also known as scrolls. The photos were published by the National Antarctic Research Center.
The polar explorers point out that these multi-layered snow bundles, usually with a void inside, can have very different sizes – from a few centimeters in diameter to noticeable bales that can reach over a meter, resembling hay in a field.
This natural phenomenon is quite extraordinary, although it can be observed in the Antarctic. The formation of snow drifts requires specific weather conditions – the presence of two distinct layers of snow (frozen or crusted and fresh, loose snow), temperatures close to the ice melting point, and wind power to move the snow insects but not destroy them. Usually, a slope is also required for the formation of rolls.
