Mystery Unraveled: The Formation of the Enigmatic Maud Rise Ice Gap in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea”.
The Maud Rise ice gap, a mysterious phenomenon that forms in open ocean away from coastal winds, has long puzzled scientists. Discovered in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica, in 1974 and 1976, this enigmatic ice gap appears periodically in different sizes but can disappear for years at a time. Despite years of research, the exact conditions that lead to its formation remain unclear to the scientific community.
However, recent studies offer new insights into this elusive phenomenon. In 2016 and 2017, an 80,000 square kilometer hole opened up for several weeks during both winters, providing researchers with an opportunity to study it more closely. Recent research published in the journal Science Advances by postdoctoral researcher Aditya Narayanan and colleagues at the University of Southampton sheds new light on this enigmatic phenomenon.
Sea ice expands from a minimum area of about 3 million square kilometers to 18 million square kilometers as the seasons transition from summer to winter, covering approximately 4% of the Earth’s surface. Most sea ice forms during the polar night when strong continental winds push ice blocks apart, creating ice holes known as polynyas. However, the Maud Rise ice gap forms away from coastal winds, making its creation less likely and more challenging to understand.
To unravel the mystery of the Maud Rise ice gap’s formation, researchers studied data from satellites, automated buoys, tagged marine mammals and historical observations from other scientists. They found that in 2016 and 2017, the Weddell Gyre – a circular current in the Weddell Sea – was stronger than in previous years. This stronger current allowed underwater currents to bring salt and heat closer to the surface which led ultimately led to the formation of
