China’s Antarctic expedition explores key insights into polynyas which play a key role in Antarctica’s ecosystem.
China’s 41st Antarctic expedition has successfully conducted a crucial survey of the Amundsen Sea and Ross Sea, identifying rare occurrences of polynyas. These open-water areas within sea ice play a significant role in Antarctica’s ecosystem and influence global climate patterns.
Sun Yongming, a member of the expedition, elaborated on the visualization of sea ice concentrations and the importance of polynyas along the Antarctic coast. He explained that a sea ice concentration map, covering data from 2013 to 2020, shows variations in ice coverage, with yellow indicating 100% ice and blue representing open water. The blue regions along the coast highlight polynyas.
Polynyas form through various natural mechanisms, with katabatic winds being the most common cause. These strong, downward-moving winds push newly formed sea ice away from the shore, creating open-water areas. Known as wind-driven polynyas, their size fluctuates based on changing weather conditions.
“In extremely cold temperatures, only polynyas generate new ice. As ice forms, it is continuously pushed outward by the wind, allowing further ice formation, a process often referred to as an ‘ice factory.’ The Amundsen Sea polynya ranks as the fourth largest among all Antarctic polynyas,” Sun stated.
Antarctica has over a dozen major polynyas, with the Amundsen Sea polynya being one of the most extensive and ecologically significant. These open-water areas facilitate heat exchange, enhance biological productivity, and offer valuable insights into Antarctic ecosystem dynamics.
“Polynyas contribute to heat transfer, fostering an environment conducive to biological activity. Research indicates that the Amundsen Sea polynya has the highest primary productivity among all Antarctic polynyas. This is why we are focusing on studying their impact on the ecosystem through extensive ecological observations,” Sun emphasized.
China’s 41st Antarctic expedition departed from Guangzhou on November 1, 2024, with three vessels: Xuelong and Xuelong-2 for research and logistics, and the “Yongsheng” cargo ship supplying materials for Qinling Station. The mission is expected to last nearly seven months, with the team scheduled to return in May 2025.
Related Posts
