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In 1974 scientists noticed something odd in the Weddell Sea near Antarctica. There was a large ice-free area, called a polynya, in the middle of the ice pack. The polynya reappeared in the winters of 1975 and 1976 but has not been seen since. Researchers now report the polynya's appearance used to be far more common and that climate change is now suppressing its formation. What's more, the polynya's absence could have implications for the vast conveyor belt of ocean currents that move heat around the globe. [Source: Smithsonian]
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