Weddell Polynya

The Weddell Polynya, or Weddell Sea Polynya, is a polynya or irregular area of open water surrounded by sea ice in the Weddell Sea of the Southern Ocean off Antarctica and near the Maud Rise. The formation of the polynya exposes relatively warmer ocean waters (at surface freezing temperatures of -1.9°C) to a cold atmosphere, leading to a large exchange of heat which drives deep convection in the ocean, often reaching depths of a 1,000 to 2,000 meters.