NASA Scientists Puzzled by Bizarre 'Ice Circles' in Arctic Sea Ice

Three bizarre circles were spotted on the surface of Arctic sea leaving scientists puzzled. The strangely shaped were seen from a research pane earth this month in the Beaufort Sea, north of Alaska and the Canadian border. NASA's Ice Bridge mission scientist John Sonntag said that the features were seen only for a few minutes. Sonntag is its 10th year of flying research missions over the Arctic and Antarctic.

The holes were seen about 50 miles northwest of Canada’s Mackenzie River Delta. Reportedly, he said, "We saw these sorta-circular features only for a few minutes today. I don't recall seeing this sort of thing elsewhere." Scientists spotted these shapes in the sea on April 14. It looked like three holes while something like rings around them.

The Ice Bridge team then asked NASA and other scientists for their expert opinion on the cause of the strange circles. One of the suggested that seals would have created an open area in the ice to breathe. Walt Meier, an atmospheric scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, said, "My first guess is that these are seal breathing holes." Ring seals are known for creating holes like this on the sea surface for breathing.

Chris Polashenski, a sea ice scientist at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, said he has seen holes like this before but doesn't have a solid explanation for them.

While he agrees that seals would be responsible for the holes, the says change in temperature could also be the result. Chris Shuman, a glaciologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said: "there is every chance this is just 'warm springs' or seeps of groundwater flowing from the mountains inland that make their presence known in this particular area."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 25, 2018 12:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).