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17th October 2017 18:38
Link to Post #1
A Massive Hole Just Opened Up In Antarctica's Ice And Scientists Don't Know Why
https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevorn.../#513d69554023
Wonder what this is about, with all the activity that'a been going on down there?
During Antarctica's winter, a massive hole appeared in the thick ice, baffling scientists who observed this phenomenon twice in as many years.
The massive hole spread to be as large as the state of Maine and at maximum extent covered 31,000 square miles (19.8 million acres). A similar, albeit smaller hole, was noticed last year around this time, prompting scientists to take a closer look at the area this year.
The phenomenon is called polynya, which is defined as a stretch of open ice-free water surrounded by sea ice. A polynya formed in the Weddell Sea in the mid-1970's for multiple years and was many times larger than the current polynya in Antarctica.
A group at Princeton University, the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modelling group (SOCCOM). The group was amazed to find that one of their robotic floats they use to collect data in the area surfaced in the polynya. These robotic floats glide through the ocean water, able to measure salinity, temperature, pressure, pH, etc. In order to transmit data back to the hub for scientists to analyze, these robotic submersibles must breach the surface and connect with a satellite signal. With the use of the sequential inflation and deflation of the submersible's air sac, it can glide through the water, providing data profiles throughout the world's oceans.
Damien Guihen/University of Tasmania
An underwater glider makes its maiden voyage.
This polynya was physically formed from the upwelling of warm salty waters to the surface. This eventually melted the sea ice and provide a continual replenishment of warm water to the surface of the ocean. As this warm water cools it sinks and is replaced by deep warm water and the cycle continues. As long as the water continues to upwell, the polynya will continue to exist.
However, scientists don't know why all of a sudden after decades of ice the underlying ocean water began to upwell forming the polynya. Thus far there isn't enough data to pinpoint why the polynya formed two years in a row after not being present for decades.
This punch hole in the ice will continue to be studied by robotic submersibles as it is incredibly difficult for humans to reach. This, in combination with satellite imagery, will help scientists further break down whats going on.
One might immediately think it's a result of climate change, but thus far there is no evidence climate change has any influence in the formation of the polynya. This, along with many other questions, will be further answered as scientists delve into studying this strange Antarctica phenomenon.
Trevor Nace is a geologist, Forbes contributor, founder of Science Trends, and adventurer. Follow his journey @trevornace.
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17th October 2017 18:50
Link to Post #2
Re: A Massive Hole Just Opened Up In Antarctica's Ice And Scientists Don't Know Why
HERE IS AN EXPLANATION OF THE 31,000 SQUARE MILE HOLE :
http://www.landscheidt.info/?q=aggregator/sources/1
Mon, 10/16/2017
An “ocean chimney” the size of Tasmania is pumping huge amounts of heat into the
atmosphere. Headlines call the hole “mysterious,” but it doesn’t seem all that
mysterious to me. I think the heat is coming from underwater volcanic activity.
A huge hole – roughly 30,000 square miles or the size of the state of Maine –
has been spotted in sea ice near Antarctica. Australian media notes that the
hole, roughly 80,000 square kilometers, is the size of Tasmania.
.
The humongous hole, known as a polynya, was detected about a month ago.
Oceanologist Laura de Steur – Photo credit Eline Nystedt / Norwegian Polar
Institute
“We do not know why it appears right now,” says oceanologist Laura de Steur at
the Norwegian Polar Institute.
The hole in the ice has emerged unusually far from the mainland, so far away
that it would not have been discovered without satellite imagery, said de Steur.
“The hole is also different because there are no winds, but ocean currents that
have formed it,” de Laure explains. This hole is formed by hot underwater
currents that drive surface when it hits a large mountain in the ocean.
“With this hole we can test our climate models. It can also give us new
information about what kind of natural climate variations happen in a period of
30-40 years, “says Steur.
It’s the largest polynya seen in the Weddell Sea since the 1970s, scientists
say.
Polynyas, defined as a stretch of open water surrounded by ice, are frequently
found in the Arctic and Antarctica, usually near the coast. But they rarely
reach the size of this one located in middle of the pack ice.
Pumping heat into the atmosphere
The polynya works like “a chimney from the ocean through the sea ice”,
transferring huge amounts of energy to the atmosphere, said Dr. Jan Lieser, a
sea ice scientist at the University of Tasmania.
The polynya is releasing about 800 watts of energy per square meter – equivalent
to about fourteen 60-watt light bulbs blazing away day and night, said Dr. Kent
Moore, a professor of physics at the University of Toronto.
Headlines are calling the hole “mysterious,” but it doesn’t seem all that
mysterious to me. I think those “hot underwater currents” are coming from
underwater volcanic activity.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/...ious-hole-appe
ars-sea-ice-near-antarctica/762344001/
https://www.nrk.no/urix/uvanlig-hull...orishavet-1.13
728678
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/re...-of-tasmania-p
uzzles-antarctic-scientists-20171011-gyz9z1.html
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/a...us-hole-has-op
ened-up-in-antarctica
“I’m interested to know if this is one of your underwater volcanoes.” says Nick.
“This time Norwegian MSM doesn’t automatically blame humans but mentions natural
variations,” says Flemming. “Could it be caused by underwater volcanoes?”
“Could it be the result of volcanic activity?” asks Hildo.
Last edited by Bill Ryan; 29th January 2018 at 11:56.
Reason: cleaned up extraneous code in the post
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29th January 2018 04:16
Link to Post #3