They open early in contrast to the rest of the Ross Sea. So far most models of sea ice activity have been based on observations from the Weddell Sea on the other side of the continent. He said cores taken from the Ross Sea indicate the ice is physically different, which indicates the biology may be different. In a rough sea, muddled ice crystals finally form solid ice. In calm conditions, water freezes from the top down.
Layers show a mix of ice formed in calm and rough seas.
The Ross Sea maybe calmer, less stormy. Researchers believe this might lead to different amounts or types of algae colonizing the ice. During those months in mid-spring, the ice is beginning to move or break away and things are just beginning to happen for the algae, Lizotte said. A little later and the algae will have melted off the floes. Lizotte will use a different method to obtain a more realistic picture of algae in ice cores.