Research Spots Rare Phenomenon In Antarctica, The Dragon Skin Ice

Researchers recently spotted a rare and bizarre phenomenon in Antarctica known as the dragon skin ice.

An international team of researchers just revealed that they recently spotted a rare and odd phenomenon in Antarctica. Referred to as the “dragon skin ice”, this was last noted in the region back in 2007. The scientists that witnessed it are currently on their way to the Ross Sea. On their way there, they are also taking a closer look at sea ice of Antarctica.

Guy Williams is a researcher at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. He is also part of the Ross Sea international expedition and the one to release the news about this strange phenomenon.

“Dragon-skin ice is very rare, bizarre evidence of a darker chaos in the cryospheric realm, not seen in Antarctica since 2007,” said Williams.

The Rare Dragon Skin Ice, An Explanation

Scaly sheets of ice characterize this rare phenomenon. These are similar to either dragon scales or the microscopic structures on a butterfly’s wing. Dragon skin ice is considered a rare sight. As it is, some point out that it might be a phenomenon characteristic of the Antarctica winter, which is still quite unexplored.

Dragon skin ice is said to be an effect of winds or waves on slushy ice. As either one of them hits the ice, it goes to sculpt into it into this unique fashion. Williams also noted that dragon skin ice might be a variation of the so-called “pancake ice”. This is the name given to sea ice that forms into small disks and then stacks upon one another.

The dragon skin was observed among Antarctica’s coastal polynyas. This is an area of open waters well known for its considerable production of ice which is driven forth and kept active by the force of katabatic winds.

The team of scientists is quite interested in these winds and area. They are studying the impact of the polynyas on both the local and global oceanography.

At the time of the dragon skin ice report, the international team of 27 researchers and its U.S. icebreaker, the Nathan B. Palmer, were stuck. They were stalled by the intense waves and winds in the area. As such, they were waiting for them to calm them to continue their study of the water beneath the ice shelf.

Image Source: Wikimedia

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When I was younger I used to spend almost all of my free time playing computer games. My mom and dad would go mental over this. “You’re never going to do anything with your life if you are going to play games all day” they used to say. What was even more unusual was the fact that I played more games than most of the guys in my friend group. Looking back, I have to admit that I probably played a bit too much, but I also learned a lot of great things. When I turned 20 I decided that it was high-time to make some money of my own, but the only jobs I could get were that of waitress or cashier. How exciting. After several excruciating months of serving tables I had a great idea: since I love gaming so much, why don’t I write about it? That’s when I started doing small writing projects on Elance. Eventually, I got an offer for a part-time job. During that time I learned all about content marketing strategies and how search engines work. I started writing about various topics such as technology, health and lifestyle and discovered that I was actually good at it. On November 24, 2014, I became part of the ArgyllFreePress team.