Scientists can't explain why a giant hole the size of Maine just opened up in Antarctica

Ice floats near the coast of West Antarctica.
(Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

A mysterious hole the size of Maine has opened up in Antarctica, stumping scientists who have no clue how it formed, Motherboard reports. "It looks like you just punched a hole in the ice," explained University of Toronto Mississauga professor Kent Moore.

Called a "polynya" — an area of open ocean water in the midst of ice — the spot was first observed in the same location in the 1970s, but scientists at the time were limited in their ability to study it. "At that time, the scientific community had just launched the first satellites that provided images of the sea-ice cover from space. On-site measurements in the Southern Ocean still require enormous efforts, so they are quite limited," Dr. Torge Martin told Phys.org.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.