polynya

American  

[puh-lin-yuh] / pəˈlɪn yə /

noun

1. an area of unfrozen sea water surrounded by ice.

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polynya British  

/ ˈpɒlənˌjɑː /

noun

1. a stretch of open water surrounded by ice, esp near the mouths of large rivers, in arctic seas

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polynya Scientific  

/ pŏl′ən-yä′,pə-lĭn′yə /

1. An area of open water surrounded by sea ice. A polynya can be formed by the presence of a heat source that keeps the area from freezing. A more complex process involves wind or ocean currents that carry ice away from the polynya, constantly exposing more ocean water to ice formation and resulting in the release of very salty, dense water that sinks to become part of a halocline.

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Etymology

Origin of polynya

1850–55; < Russian polyn'yá, Old Russian polynĭi equivalent to pol ( ŭ ) empty, open + -ynĭi noun suffix

Example Sentences

A study reveals a key process that had eluded scientists as to how the opening, called a polynya, was able to form and persist for several weeks.

From Science Daily

Dr. Schweiger and other researchers had seen and studied thinning ice in the Wandel Sea in recent years, including a time in 2018 when a large area of open water, called a polynya, had opened.

From New York Times

In November 2016 a large opening in the sea ice, called a polynya, appeared in the eastern part of the sea.

From New York Times

It’s complicated, Campbell notes, because some effects of climate change may make polynya formation more difficult, and other effects may make it easier.

From Scientific American

The Ross polynya is a prime example, as the new research demonstrates.

From Scientific American