polynya

[puh-lin-yuh]

noun

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

polynya

/ ˈpɒlənˌjɑː /

noun

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

polynya

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of polynya¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of polynya¹

C19: from Russian, from poly open, hollowed-out

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.

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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.

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The 2016 polynya and the storms were no doubt linked, Dr. Turner said, as the rough conditions served to break up the sea ice.

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

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

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