Mystery hole opens up in Antarctica

Washington: The gigantic area of unfrozen water, known as a polynya, has been spotted in the ice of Weddell Sea but no one is sure why it is there, as reported by a news agency. Scientists say the enormous hole was first sighted in the mid-1970s before closing up for around four decades. Satellite images show it mysteriously appeared again for several weeks in 2016 and it has now reopened yet again this year. At its peak, the hole measures around 31,000 square miles, nearly the size of Ireland and roughly twice the scale of the Netherlands. Polynyas are areas of open water that are surrounded by sea ice and are usually found in Antarctica’s coastal regions.