SCIENTISTS have discovered a huge hole opening up in the ice on the Antarctica – and no one knows why.

MYSTERY: A giant hole has been discovered in the ice of the Antarctica

The vast hole opened up several hundred kilometres across the area of about 80,000 square kilometres – but this feature remains a mystery to researchers. Named as a “polynya”, this is usually found in coastal regions of Antarctica, but this hole is far from the edge where the ice is much thicker. Kent Moore, a professor of physics at the University of Toronto, said: “In the depths of winter, for more than a month, we’ve had this area of open water. It’s just remarkable that this polynya went away for 40 years and then came back.”

NASA DISCOVERED: The hole remains a mystery to researchers

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“This polynya went away for 40 years and then came back” Kent Moore A smaller polynya was observed in the same area in the 1970s but the exact sale of that fissure was not recorded. Many will suspect this having something to do with climate change, but scientists are yet to confirm. The Weddell Sea polynya could force more changes in ice as the melting ice causes a localised temperature contrast between the ocean and atmosphere – which drives a convection current.

MEEREISPORTAL.DE ANTARCTICA: This hole is far from the edge of the ice pack where the ice is much thicker