Frost Flowers on Arctic Sea Ice

Transcript

In the frozen Arctic Ocean, delicate frost flowers bloom as thin, new sea ice meets frigid, moist air, with tiny imperfections giving birth to exquisite ice bouquets. Laboratory studies reveal that when the air is about twenty degrees Celsius colder than the water, moisture rapidly vaporizes and refreezes into these mesmerizing ice structures. Beyond their beauty, these ephemeral ice formations shelter vibrant microbial communities that likely drive important chemical processes in this extreme environment.

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