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Mysterious holes in Antarctic sea ice, scientists suspect this is the cause

KOMPAS.com- A mysterious hole known to be among the sea ice offshore Antartika which first appeared in 1973.

The hole is so large, it’s even thought that it could swallow California.

Reporting from Science Alert, Sunday (15/11/2020), for three winters, the mysterious hole was still in its place.

However, it appears that most of these have disappeared before reappearing in 2017, with the mouth of the hole getting bigger and bigger.

The mouth of these giant holes is sometimes the size of a state called polynya, which is an area of ​​open water surrounded by sea ice.

Also read: The Origin of the Siberian Mysterious Hole, Scientists Suspect it was Formed by a Gas Explosion

But his mysterious Weddell Poly, which occurs above the highlands of the Maud Rise ocean, in the waters of the Weddel Sea in the Southern Ocean is the most extreme example of environmental phenomenon this.

This hole has appeared for a long time, even rarely, but it is quite confusing for scientists.

In the past year, researchers suspect the hole was due to climate anomalies which all come together and cause the polynya.

Another study conducted in 2019 was led by scientists atmosphere Diana Francis, called an anomaly that occurred as a result of cyclone produced by atmospheric circulation.

Also read: NASA Portrait of 3 Mysterious Holes in the Arctic Ocean

Cyclone this then pulls the floating sea ice in the opposite direction and away from the eye of the storm, further creating a giant hole.

Francis, a senior scientist at Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates, has just led a study that explains another contributor to the phenomenon that has been captured today, namely warm atmospheric rivers, humid air.

In the new study, Francis and his team looked at atmospheric data since the 1970s. They found that there was a ‘river in the sky’ in the formation of the Weddell Polynya events of 1973 and 2017, which were particularly strong.

photo" data-photolink="http://www.kompas.com/sains/image/2020/11/15/180300923/lubang-misterius-di-es-laut-antartika-ilmuwan-menduga-ini-penyebabnya?page=2" style="max-width: 100%;width:750px">NASA / GSFC / MODIS When A38 (a giant chunk of ice from Antarctica) emerged in 2004, it became a major problem for penguins and seals foraging in the surrounding environment.-

This atmospheric flow was continuously evident in the days preceding the two events.

“I was shocked after seeing firsthand the melting of sea ice covered by rivers in the atmosphere during the coldest months of the year in Antarctica,” said Francis.

The researchers say the atmospheric circulation carries a belt of warm, humid air from the coast of South America to the arctic regions.

This circulation causes liquefaction through a combination of effects, including the release of heat in the air mass, the local greenhouse effect created by water vapor, and contributions to cyclonic dynamics.

Also read: A mysterious 30 meter deep hole appears in Siberia

“Rivers in the atmosphere also make storms more violent because they produce more water vapor. They are interrelated, not independent,” explained Francis. New Scienctist.

Analysis of studies that have been published in journals Science Advances this may not be the last thing to reveal the cause of Weddell Polynya’s monumental demise.

However, it gives a new perspective in expanding our understanding of what makes the monster hole appear.

Given that rivers and cyclones in the atmosphere are expected to increase the more severe the consequences global warmingThis strange, bizarre hole off the coast of Antarctica is something we observe frequently, but we will have to wait and see.


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