Sea ice surrounding the continent expands outward, effectively doubling Antarctica's size. But during the winters of 2016 and 2017, a rare hole called a polynya opened in the middle of the sea ice — one about the size of Switzerland. And scientists have just now figured out how it came to be.

Scientists first discovered the mysterious hole in the 1970s, but questions have remained about how it formed.

Scientists have discovered the missing fragment of the Maud Rise polynya puzzle, providing a full picture of the mystery at last. The mysterious Maud Rise polynya is named after an oceanic plateau in the Weddell Sea,

During 2016 and 2017, the Weddell Sea's expansive ocean current intensified, causing the upsurge of warm, salty water layers. This facilitated the vertical blending of salt and heat into surface waters.

A large wave anomaly was seen between Antarctica and Africa for the second time in a month, sparking online speculation from internet sleuths.