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BBC: Ocean waves generated by storms can propagate through ice-covered seas much farther than previously thought, according to new research. The findings were based on data from sensors placed on ice floes in the Antarctic. Researchers found that waves greater than 3 m in height were able to travel up to 350 km. Such wave oscillations force any ice floes in their path to bend, which creates fatigue and eventually causes the ice to fracture. The researchers confirmed their findings by comparing observed ocean ice edge positions from 1997 to 2009 with predictions based on weather during that period. The team lacked the data necessary to make a similar observation in the Arctic, however. And because the geography of the two poles is quite different, the behavior of the ice can also be quite different.
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Ocean storms can break up polar ice Free
29 May 2014