Nature surely works in mysterious ways and today, while browsing the web I came across an article by Earthly Mission about a phenomenon called ‘Brincles’ where icy water forms like an icy hand of death that touches the waterbed, killing all sea creatures along the way.
What are brinicles?
Brinicles, also known as ice stalactites are ice structures that are formed from the top of the ocean to the bottom. They often appear as an underwater tornado and are commonly formed in the frigid Antarctic waters, they are specifically found in the polar regions of our planet. They’re also known as ice fingers of death as they’re known to trap sea creatures in its way, as soon as it touches the seafloor.
How are they formed?
Ice on the ocean surface consists of two components — water and salt. When the water is in the freezing process, it releases most of the salt, leaving behind the ice crystal in its purest form. However, along with this, it also causes an increase in the presence of excess salt.
BBC
However, since it needs even colder temperatures to freeze the salt, the saltwater stays in liquid form, forming a saline brine channel within the porous ice.
However, when this floating sea ice cracks and leaks out the saline water solution into the ocean, it starts to sink due to its heavy nature and while it’s touching the ground, it also ends up freezing due to the extreme cold, thus forming the ominous finger of death-like structure.
Also Read: World’s Largest Iceberg, Bigger Than New York’s Long Island, Breaks Off Antarctica Coast
BBC
Black pools of death
What’s fascinating about brinicles is that they’re actually quite delicate, structurally and even the slightest touch can shatter them. However, this delicate ice finger while reaching the floor can easily trap sea creatures in it, which experts often refer to as black pools of death.
BBC
Also Read: Best Place On Earth For Sky Gazing Is Antarctica, According To Scientists
BBC Earth has managed to capture the formation of a brinicle on a timelapse camera that shows not just the brinicle forming, but also how it trap
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