These beautiful and other-worldly photographs
of ice were taken last year by University
of Washington graduate student Jeff
Bowman and his professor Jody Deming while they worked on a study combining
oceanography, microbiology, and planetary sciences in the central Arctic Ocean as part of the Integrated Graduate Education
and Research Training (IGERT) program. Their single focus was the study of frost flowers,
a strange phenomenon where frost grows from imperfections in the surface ice
amid extreme sub-zero temperatures nearing -22C or -7.6F, forming spiky structures that
have been found to house microorganisms. In fact, the bacteria found in the
frost flowers is much more dense than in the frozen water below it, meaning
each flower is essentially a temporary ecosystem, not unlike a coral reef. Via IGERT:
Around their research icebreaker in
the central Arctic Ocean new ice grows on long
open cracks that network amongst the thick floes of pack ice. Abruptly the
surface of this new ice changes texture. The cold, moist air above the open
cracks becomes saturated and frost begins to form wherever an imperfection can
be found on the ice surface. From these nucleation points the flower-like frost
structures grow vertically, quickly rising to centimeters in height. The hollow
tendrils of these “frost flowers” begin to wick moisture from the ice surface,
incorporating salt, marine bacteria, and other substances as they grow. The fog
dissipates and the Arctic sun lights the surface of the frost flowers,
initiating a cascade of chemical reactions. These reactions can produce
formaldehyde, deplete ozone, and actually alter the chemical composition of the
lower atmosphere. [...] Bowman and Deming have discovered that bacteria are
consistently more abundant in frost flowers than in sea ice. Since microscopic
pockets in sea ice are known to support an active community of psychrophiles
(cold-loving microorganisms), even in the coldest months of the year, these
results are encouraging.
Bowman and Deming are currently building an
ultra-clean chamber where they can grow artificial frost flowers and hope that
their research leads to a better understanding of how life might be able to
survive in extreme conditions elsewhere in the universe. Amazing! Photos by
Matthias Wietz. (via the daily what)
Credist: This is Colossal
