Scientists uncover new deets on ice formation below the ocean surface

Scientists have uncovered new details of how ice forming below the ocean surface in Antarctica provides cold dense water that sinks to the seabed in an important aspect of global water circulation. The results, published in the journal Science Advances, come from a team at the Hokkaido University's Institute of Low Temperature Science, its Arctic Research Center, and the Faculty of Fisheries science, working with scientists at Japan's National Institute of Polar Research and Aerospace Exploration Agency. The seas around Antarctica, where a large amount of sea ice is formed, are central to global ocean water circulation, linking the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. When sea ice is formed, it rejects salt, therefore leaving dense, cold water that sink to the seabed.