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Paleoclimatology (thesaurus)

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Preferred term

polynya  

Definition

  • A polynya is an area of open water surrounded by sea ice. It is now used as a geographical term for an area of unfrozen seawater within otherwise contiguous pack ice or fast ice. There are two main types of polynyas: coastal polynyas, which can be found year-round near the Antarctic and Arctic coasts and are mainly created by strong winds pushing the ice away from the coast, and mid-sea or open-ocean polynyas, which may be found more sporadically in the middle of ice pack in certain locations, especially around Antarctica. These locations are generally preconditioned by certain oceanic dynamics. One of the most famous mid-sea polynyas is the Weddell Polynya. (Adapted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynya)

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URI

http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/QX8-CQN8J5D7-5

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