Weddell Polynya

The Weddell Polynya, or Weddell Sea Polynya, is a polynya, or irregular area of open water surrounded by sea ice, in the Weddell Sea of the Southern Ocean off Antarctica and near the Maud Rise.[1][2] The formation of the polynya exposes relatively warmer ocean waters (at surface freezing temperatures of –1.9 °C) to a cold atmosphere, leading to a large exchange of heat which drives deep convection in the ocean, often reaching depths of 1,000 to 2,000 meters.[3]

  1. ^ David Holland (5 May 2003). "Background - Weddell Polynya". New York University. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  2. ^ D M Holland (1 June 2001). "Explaining the Weddell Polynya--a large ocean eddy shed at Maud Rise". Science. 292 (5522): 1697–700. Bibcode:2001Sci...292.1697H. doi:10.1126/science.1059322. PMID 11387470. S2CID 39712681.
  3. ^ Cheon, Woo Geun; Gordon, Arnold L. (6 May 2019). "Open-ocean polynyas and deep convection in the Southern Ocean". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 6935. Bibcode:2019NatSR...9.6935C. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-43466-2. PMC 6502842. PMID 31061471.