These investigations have only begun to reveal the amazing secrets of this seasonal event. Sea ice moderates our climate, acting as a blanket that keeps the ocean heat from escaping and warming the chilly polar atmosphere. Sea ice formation helps define our ocean circulation through the formation of the coldest, saltiest water in our global ocean - setting in motion a water flow that cools the air of tropics and warms the polar atmosphere. Sea ice is the haven for communities of microscopic organisms that, when released with the spring melt, help create one of the richest feeding grounds in the ocean for the likes of krill, penguins, seals and the far-traveling whales. USCG Glacier plowing through thin sea ice in Antarctic waters.
Sea ice can form a hazard to shipping and to towing scientific equipment.
Photograph courtesy of John B. Anderson, Rice University. Scientists are trying to understand the feedback systems of the sea ice formation and our global ocean, atmospheric, and ecological systems. By understanding the components and how they interact, we can better predict how they may change in the future. One piece of the system is snow cover on sea ice. Snow cover may have profound effects upon the sea ice.