The constant supply of brine during freezing makes the cold water even heavier--it is sinking down to the abyssal basins of the oceans forming the Antarctic bottom water that fills half of the world's oceans. The amount of brine and bottom water produced is therefore directly related to the sea ice volume or its thickness. With thinner ice in a warming world, we expect less bottom water to be produced, which would therefore slowly crank up the heat on our planet. But ice thinning and reduction of bright and snow-covered sea ice also means that less sunlight is reflected back to space, cranking up the heat even more. It is important that we get good measurements of sea ice thickness and the snow on top of it. During the Weddell Sea Expedition, we are finding ways to improve the measurement of sea ice from space. Ultimately our research will improve the climate and weather predictions in all places of the world, even far away from Antarctica where most people live.
