NASA researchers are puzzled by the observation of a few mysterious ice holes in the Arctic region. The scientists have no clue, at the moment, on how these structures occurred and on what are they.
The weird circles, located in the ice off the coast of northern Canada, in the Arctic Tundra, have been recorded by NASA to examine them closer but the researchers weren’t yet able to come up with a valid theory regarding these circular formations.
The mysterious ice circles were discovered during the NASA IceBridge Mission
As a part of the IceBridge mission, NASA researchers had to examine the area close to the Mackenzie River, in Canada, when they’ve spotted these strange structures in the middle of the ice sheet. The images depicting the circles were taken by the NASA’s scientist John Sonntag, a participant in the IceBrisge mission.
NASA declared that these weird holes are unique since nobody has ever seen anything similar before in the Arctic Ocean.
“I do not remember seeing this kind of thing anywhere else,” added scientist John Sonntag.
On the other hand, Nathan Kurtz, also a NASA researcher, examined the captured images and stated that, in the area, the ice is very thin but he didn’t offer more information regarding the mysterious ice holes.
Discovered by accident, the strange ice circles in the Arctic region puzzle NASA scientists
NASA researchers admitted they are stunned by the discovery and have no idea where to start from with a proper investigation.
Despite the fact that the first examinations of the images showed that the ice in that area was very thin and quite young, not even a single NASA scientist came out, yet, with a reliable theory.
However, there are some theories
Walt Meier, a researcher at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, thinks that the weird ice circles have emerged due to the water which floated on the ice sheet in the area and which, eventually collapsed the ice, forming “a kind of drainage that results from when the hole is made in the ice.”
On the other hand, Chris Schuman, a glaciologist employed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, considers that the mysterious ice holes in the Arctic region were formed by the warm water which flows in the Arctic Ocean.
