Invisible Air Rivers in The Sky Have Been Leaving Giant Holes in Antarctic Ice
It appeared in 1973, seemingly out of nowhere: a hole in the sea ice off the coast of Antarctica. But this was no ordinary hole. It was so big it could swallow California.
The mysterious opening remained in place for the following three winters. Then it seemed to largely disappear before emerging again in 2017, with a giant maw the size of Maine.
This giant hole with a sometimes state-sized appetite is what's called a polynya – an area of open water surrounded by sea ice, kind of like the opposite of an iceberg.
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