C++ - Function is completely skipped if an internal variable exceeds ~60,000

I wrote the following for a class, but came across some strange behavior while testing it. arrayProcedure is meant to do things with an array based on the 2 "tweaks" at the top of the function (arrSize, and start). For the assignment, arrSize must be 10,000, and start, 100. Just for kicks, I decided to see what happens if I increase them, and for some reason, if arrSize exceeds around 60,000 (I haven't found the exact limit), the program immediately crashes with a stack overflow when using a debugger:

Unhandled exception at 0x008F6977 in TMA3Question1.exe: 0xC00000FD: Stack overflow (parameters: 0x00000000, 0x00A32000).

If I just run it without a debugger, I don't get any helpful errors; windows hangs for a fraction of a second, then gives me an error TMA3Question1.exe has stopped working.

I decided to play around with debugging it, but that didn't shed any light. I placed breaks above and below the call to arrayProcedure, as well as peppered inside of it. When arrSize doesn't exceed 60,000 it runs fine: It pauses before calling arrayProcedure, properly waits at all the points inside of it, then pauses on the break underneath the call.

If I raise arrSize however, the break before the call happens, but it appears as though it never even steps into arrayProcedure; it immediately gives me a stack overflow without pausing at any of the internal breakpoints.

The only thing I can think of is the resulting arrays exceeds my computer's current memory, but that doesn't seem likely for a couple reasons:

1. 
   

   It should only use just under a megabyte:

   
   
   
   
   • sizeof(double) = 8 bytes
   
   
   • 8 * 60000 = 480000 bytes per array
   
   
   • 480000 * 2 = 960000 bytes for both arrays
   
   
   
   


2. 
   

   As far as I know, arrays aren't immediately constructed when I function is entered; they're allocated on definition. I placed several breakpoints before the arrays are even declared, and they are never reached.

   
   

Any light that you could shed on this would be appreciated.

The code:

#include <iostream>
#include <ctime>

//CLOCKS_PER_SEC is a macro supplied by ctime
double msBetween(clock_t startTime, clock_t endTime) {
    return endTime - startTime / (CLOCKS_PER_SEC * 1000.0);
}

void initArr(double arr[], int start, int length, int step) {
    for (int i = 0, j = start; i < length; i++, j += step) {
        arr[i] = j;
    }
}

//The function we're going to inline in the next question
void helper(double a1, double a2) {
    std::cout << a1 << " * " << a2 << " = " << a1 * a2 << std::endl;
}


void arrayProcedure() {
    const int arrSize = 70000;
    const int start = 1000000;

    std::cout << "Checking..." << std::endl;
    if (arrSize > INT_MAX) {
        std::cout << "Given arrSize is too high and exceeds the INT_MAX of: " << INT_MAX << std::endl;
        return;
    }

    double arr1[arrSize];
    double arr2[arrSize];

    initArr(arr1, start, arrSize, 1);
    initArr(arr2, arrSize + start - 1, arrSize, -1);

    for (int i = 0; i < arrSize; i++) {
        helper(arr1[i], arr2[i]);
    }
}

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
    using namespace std;

    const clock_t startTime = clock();

    arrayProcedure();

    clock_t endTime = clock();
    cout << endTime << endl;
    double elapsedTime = msBetween(startTime, endTime);

    cout << "\n\n" << elapsedTime << " milliseconds. ("
        << elapsedTime / 60000 << " minutes)\n";
}