Unprecedented polynya forms in Antarctic winter ice — Nature

An unprecedented area of open water has formed in the winter sea ice near Antarctica. Its area is roughly equal to that of Portugal, and so-called rivers in the sky — flows of moisture in the atmosphere — helped keep it unfrozen.

Open water amid winter ice

This was reported by Nature. Sea ice covers the ocean near the Antarctic continent, but its extent has noticeably decreased over the past ten years.

Low sea-ice levels around Antarctica this year, as well as in other years, indicate significant changes in sea-ice formation in the Southern Hemisphere over the past decade.

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The role of atmospheric moisture

According to the publication, these changes are linked to a combination of natural variability and climate change caused by human activity. Higher average temperatures are not the only factor making it more difficult for ice cover to grow.

Nature notes that rivers in the sky helped keep an area of the ocean free of ice, comparable in size to Portugal.