Antarctica, that enigmatic icy continent, has always piqued our curiosity. With no permanent residents, it’s the scientists who are left to unravel its mysteries. Whether it’s a sudden emergence of a ‘pyramid’ from beneath the ice or ‘bleeding waterfalls’, there’s always something intriguing happening that catches the attention of science enthusiasts.
But one particular phenomenon has had the scientific community scratching their heads for nearly a decade – a massive hole that appeared in 2016. When it first showed up in the ice of the Wendell Sea, nobody could explain it, especially considering its enormous size and its distance from the coast.
Let me paint a picture of just how massive this hole is: it’s as big as Switzerland, so yeah, it’s pretty sizable.
Now, what we’re talking about here is called a polynya, which is just a fancy way of saying a hole in the ice. This specific one, called the Maud Rise Polynya, holds the record as the largest in four decades.
Initially, folks thought it formed due to the impacts of a storm and some unexpected ocean conditions. However, a recent study published in Science Advances may have cracked the case.
It turns out that a particular current, known as the Weddell Gyre, played a crucial role. This current brought warm and salty water to the surface during some strong currents between 2015 and 2018.
According to Professor Fabien Roquet from the University of Gothenburg, this upwelling explains how the sea ice might melt. But as the sea ice melts, it leads to a freshening of the surface water, which should, in theory, stop the mixing. So, there had to be something else going on to keep the polynya around. That’s where an additional input of salt comes into play.
Professor Sarah Gille of the University of California San Diego chimed in, saying that polynyas leave a lasting mark in the water for years after they form. They can alter how water moves and how currents carry heat toward the continent. The dense waters that form in these areas can even spread across the global ocean.
So, there you have it – a perfectly reasonable explanation rooted in the intricate science of water and currents.
