'Brinicle' Ice Finger of Death in the Antarctic is a strange underwater phenomenon. Though quite strange, the 'Brinicle' Ice Finger of Death in the Antarctic is still one of the most spectacular occurrences in the whole world.
This bizarre underwater experience has been filmed for the first time by cameramen Hugh Miller and Doug Anderson for the BBC One series Frozen Planet in 2011. Since then the 'Brinicle' Ice Finger of Death in the Antarctic has astounded many. The BBC crew have managed to capture this "cool" event under the sea using high end time-lapse cameras, where they recorded salt water being excluded from the sea ice and sinking down to the ocean floor.
Miller grouped the rig of timelapse equipment to capture the 'Brinicle' Ice Finger of Death in the Antarctic under the ice at Little Razorback Island, close to Antarctica's Ross Archipelago. Miller told BBC Nature, "When we were exploring around that island we came across an area where there had been three or four [brinicles] previously and there was one actually happening."
He added, "It was a bit of a race against time because no-one really knew how fast they formed. The one we'd seen a week before was getting longer in front of our eyes... the whole thing only took five, six hours."
So how exactly causes the 'Brinicle' Ice Finger of Death in the Antarctic?
The icy phenomenon is caused by cold, sinking brine, which is more dense than the rest of the sea water. The temperature of this brine is below 0C, and as it contacts warmer water below the surface, it causes water to freeze in an icy casing. This casing is called a brinicle.
The 'Brinicle' Ice Finger of Death in the Antarctic has been called such because anything it touched on the sea bed freezes everything, including the sea urchins and starfish.
'Brinicle' Ice Finger of Death in the Antarctic may not be easily seen as other places in the world, but it still is amazing to see this amazing feat of nature even on video, and have that little vision of cold in the hot summer heat.
Watch the spectacular footage of the 'Brinicle' Ice Finger of Death in the Antarctic below.
