Three polynyas—circular areas free of sea ice—provide tantalizing clues as to why Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier is melting at an astonishing 100 meters per year.
The Pine Island Glacier has been the focus of scientific attention for many years. Large numbers of deep crevasses are a sign that parts of the glacier are moving rapidly.
The amount of ice flowing from the Antarctic glacier has doubled in the span of three decades, and scientists think it could undergo even more dramatic changes in the near future.