While searching the Beaufort Sea in Canada, scientists discovered several previously unknown craters on the sea floor. Between 2010 and 2022 in total 65 newly formed craters were identified, The largest of them rivals the size of a six-story apartment building.
During the new expedition Samples were collected using robots Of ice formations inside the craters. According to the current location, the permafrost on the sea floor could have formed during the previous ice age, which occurred about 11,000 years ago. However, isotopic analyzes yielded a surprising result:
It turns out that ice did not form in the distant past, but rather under current conditions.
According to Charlie Ball, a geoscientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and lead author of the study:
Permafrost is actively forming and breaking up over large areas near the seafloor, creating a dynamic underwater landscape with huge chasms and ice piles covered in sediment.
According to researchers, ice formation is the result of a continuous cycle of melting and refreezing.
Deep layers of permafrost melt under the sea's surface, causing salty groundwater to rise, then sink and freeze again on its way to the sea floor. This is the process At a temperature of -1.4°C It is happening
The research results suggest that permafrost may be present in a larger area beneath the Arctic shelf than previously assumed. This realization could have a major impact on future decisions and developments related to the Arctic.
The cover image is an illustration. Cover image source: Portfolio
