It may look like someone dyed the water green for St. Patrick’s Day, but the green hue visible off the coast of Antarctica is entirely natural.
Published Mar 9, 2017
In polar environments, tiny algae and other plant-like organisms that are the foundation of the ocean food web grow not just in the open ocean, but also within brine-filled pores and cracks in the sea ice. In the winter, sea ice insulates the water below, keeping it above freezing. Algae growing on the bottom of the ice can grow into long filaments that trail into the water. As the ice melts, and currents and tides jostle and crush the sea ice into slush and small pieces, the algae are released into the surface water. Blooms of algae and phytoplankton often occur along the ice edge.
Published Mar 5, 2008
Low-angled sunlight highlights topography and ice textures along Walgreen Coast in West Antarctica on March 14, 2010.
Published Apr 13, 2010
Skylights in Arctic sea ice provided ample light for a massive phytoplankton bloom in July 2011.
Published Dec 11, 2012
Acquired in 2003, 2004,and 2005, these images show an intermittently ice-filled bay in the wake of the 2002 collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Published Apr 9, 2010
Changing weather conditions left their mark on sea ice along the Antarctic Peninsula in late 2008 and early 2009. In mid-December 2008, melt water resting on the sea ice colored it sky blue. At the beginning of 2009, however, the sea ice appeared snowy white, and cracks had begun along the ice margin.
Published Jan 9, 2009
Sea ice in an East Antarctic bay broke up, providing access to Cape Denison for the first time in six years.
Published Mar 4, 2016
An area of sea ice larger than the state of Rhode Island can be seen breaking from the Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf in this series of photo-like images.
Published Jan 15, 2010
This approximately true-color image shows ice fragments left over from previous breakups of the Wilkins Ice Shelf.
Published Apr 19, 2009
Acquired October 7, 2011, this natural-color image shows an ice menagerie off the coast of East Antarctica.
Published Oct 23, 2011
New elevation measurements will give researchers an unprecedented understanding of the thickness of sea ice, which will be used to help improve climate modeling and forecasts.
Published Dec 18, 2018
Off the coast of Antarctica, vibrant green phytoplankton swirls amidst the sea ice.
Published Jan 28, 2020Image of the Day Water Snow and Ice Remote Sensing Water Color
The land and sea along Antarctica’s Mawson Coast offer a study in ice forms.
Published Dec 31, 2011
When this closely watched slab of floating ice births a giant iceberg, it will not be the first time it has seen dramatic change.
Published Feb 7, 2017Image of the Day Heat Land Water Snow and Ice Sea and Lake Ice
Rifts form a triple junction along the edge of a giant loose tooth in East Antarctica.
Published Feb 12, 2012
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