The Arctic in a pool: Simulator grows sea ice for research

This winter, flowers bloomed in the northern Canadian city of Winnipeg. But not the verdant blooms that might come to mind; these were frost flowers. The University of Manitoba opened a sea ice simulator last year to see how ice forms on the open water of the frigid poles, and how it affects the local climate and plant life. The $1.5 million Canadian ($1.46 million USD) Sea-ice Environmental Research Facility's 30-foot-long (9 meters) pool — the centerpiece of the project — is where the researchers sprinkle salt, water and environmental contaminants, then watch how the sea ice grows. Read more.

Publication date: 
Friday, March 1, 2013