The headline on BBC Nature News calls an
underwater ice formation the “Brinicle Ice Finger of Death.”
“Brinicle” is short for “briny icicle,” while “Ice Finger of
Death” is a dramatic title for a fascinating natural phenomenon
found in Antarctica and captured in stunning time-lapse photography
for the BBC One series “Frozen Planet.” Click here for the
video.
The video shows a finger of heavy water reaching down from the
surface and then advancing across the sea floor, encasing starfish
and sea urchins in unexpected ice.
The water coming off Little Razorback Island near Ross
Archipelago contained a high salt content, the result of separation
as ice freezes at the surface. Because of its high concentration of
salt, the runoff water was denser and colder than the surrounding
ocean (well below the freezing point of fresh water). As the brine
drained off the island, it caused the seawater to freeze around it
as the brinicle advanced.
The phenomenon had been noted before, but finding a place where
a brinicle was forming and setting up the film equipment was a feat
in itself, as photographer Hugh Miller explained to reporter Ella
Davies of BBC Nature:
“That particular patch was difficult to get to. It was a long
way from the hole and it was quite narrow at times between the sea
bed and the ice. I do remember it being a struggle… The kit is very
heavy because it has to sit on the sea bed and not move for long
periods of time.”
Frisky seals in the area barged into the scene, breaking off
pieces of the brinicle and messing with the film gear, but
eventually the crew got the dramatic video they were seeking.
The series “Frozen Planet” apparently is not yet available in
the United States. The clip shown in the video player above can be
viewed on the BBC
Nature page if the YouTube version does not work.
Since the clip above was posted on YouTube last Wednesday, it
has gone viral, with more than 4.9 million viewings. (The clip,
which was copied from the BBC website, has
since been taken down.)
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