The coastline of the Ross Sea has been an incredible place to explore since we've been here. On a recent trip out to the "Pressure Ridges" we learned how these unique ice-scapes are formed and how they're utilized by the Weddell Seals.
Pressure Ridges are formed when the Ice Shelf of the Ross Island (Ice moving from land toward the sea) collides with sea ice that is being pushed toward the land by ocean currents. The two sheets of ice collide together in a "rifting" motion similar to plate tectonics that formed the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The collisions start out looking like frozen waves and over a short period of time, break at the top and push upward until they collapse. Some of the ridges get very tall (maybe 20ft.) and create beautiful, geometric shapes along the coastline near Scott Base (the Kiwi Station that's 3 miles from McMurdo).
The Pressure Ridges also create holes in the ice and a haven for Weddell Seals to come up out of the water and utilize the sun and open air. We saw a Cow and her pup along with a large Bull Weddell Seal. As we continued on, we heard a barking seal coming from behind one of the ridges. We walked around until we found a seal swimming around in an ice hole and announcing his presence. It was a great trip and awesome to learn more about this unique ecosystem.
Our buddy Nate getting a great shot
No comments:
Post a Comment