Scientists have finally discovered what's causing a Switzerland-size hole to repeatedly open up in Antarctica's sea ice.
"2017 was the first time that we've had such a large and long-lived polynya in the Weddell Sea since the 1970s," lead author Aditya Narayanan, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southampton in England, said in a statement. Related: 'Unprecedented,' 'Gobsmacked', 'Unbelievable': Changes in Antarctica's sea ice could have dramatic impacts, says climate scientist Edward Doddridge
But in the open ocean and away from these coastal winds, where the Maud Rise polynya forms, holes in the sea ice are much less likely to develop. This, along with a startling reduction in the overall ice extent across the Southern Ocean, led scientists to wonder what specific conditions could be causing the Maud Rise polynya to form.