Polynyas are areas of open water surrounded by sea ice. It has strong winds known as “kabatic winds” that produce as much as 10 times as much sea ice as usual.
(Photo : Guy Williams/University of Tasmania via Wochit News/YouTube)
A phenomenon described as “dragon-skin” ice was observed on an ongoing voyage of the Ross Sea in the Antarctic.
Polar oceanographer Guy Williams of the University of Tasmania, alongside other researchers, began the daring voyage in coastal polynyas aboard the vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer in April.
CNET notes that the expedition is dubbed as the PIPERS (polynyas, ice production, and seasonal evolution in the Ross Sea) which includes scientists from eight countries and 14 universities and research institutions.
As explained by Williams in a statement, polynyas are areas of open water surrounded by sea ice. It has strong winds known as “kabatic winds” that produce as much as 10 times as much sea ice as usual. In short, it’s an area where…
