Huge hole the size of Switzerland appears in Antarctica ice | World | News

A giant hole has appeared in the sea ice of Antarctica and it’s as big as Switzerland. The sea in Antarctica usually freezes over in winter but this hole was formed far from land, in the middle of the ice, which is highly unusual. In a remarkable scientific observation, NASA detected a massive polynya, a rare, temporary hole in Antarctic sea ice located far from the coast over the submerged Maud Rise plateau. 

Fabien Roquet, professor in Physical Oceanography at the University of Gothenburg and co-author of the research, said: “This upwelling helps to explain how the sea ice might melt. But as sea ice melts this leads to a freshening of the surface water, which should in turn put a stop to the mixing. 

“So, another process must be happening for the polynya to persist. There must be an additional input of salt from somewhere.”

At its peak, the hole spread over tens of thousands of square kilometers, and was even visible from space as a shadowy wound in the icy surface.

Scientists discovered that a rare combination of strong ocean currents brought warm, salty water to the surface, storms pushed sea ice away, and winds redirected salty water into the region through a process called Ekman transport, Earth.com reports.

This triggered deep convection, breaking the ice and releasing a lot of heat into the atmosphere.

These polynyas don’t just affect Antarctica and they can have a significant influence on ocean currents, global climate, and even carbon levels.

This process releases 20 times more heat into the atmosphere than normal and has ripple effects on ocean circulation and climate around the globe.

Scientists warn that if ocean currents and storm systems continue changing with climate warming, we could see more of these events in the future.