As brine from the sea ice sinks, a ‘brinicle’ forms threatening life on the sea floor with a frosty fate.
The unusual phenomenon was filmed for the first time by cameramen Hugh Miller and Doug Anderson for the BBC One series Frozen Planet (full story)
The icy phenomenon is caused by cold, sinking brine, which is more dense than the rest of the sea water. It forms a brinicle as it contacts warmer water below the surface.
The temperature of this sinking brine, which was well below 0C, caused the water to freeze in an icy sheath around it. Where the so-called “brinicle” met the sea bed, a web of ice formed that froze everything it touched, including sea urchins and starfish.
The location – beneath the ice off the foothills of the volcano Mount Erebus, Little Razorback Island in Antarctica in water as cold as -2C.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMhBuSBemRk&w=500&h=349]
Source and Author:cwmbro (youtube)
Reblogged this on abraveheart1.
wow, its amazing how little we really know about our own planet
Luke
And all the goofy starfish come skittering to gather ’round it – hmmmm….
wow, this is amazing. kinda like the idea of super fast freeze in the movie, the day after tomorrow