December 14, 2015 ~ Antarctica Day 3
The Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean and contains the Weddell Gyre. The Weddell Sea is usually heavily iced, the pack generally extending north to about 60° S in the western and central sectors in early summer, a factor that severely hindered early ship exploration.
The Weddell Sea shows a prime example of sea ice of both 1 year and multi year thickness. Sea ice, as simply frozen sea water, forms, grows and melts entirely in the ocean. Contrasting this, icebergs, glaciers, ice sheets, and ice shelves all originate on land.
Photo by Patrica Burke
Photo by Patrica Burke
