polyna

polyna (plural polynas)

1. Alternative form of polynya
   • 1977, Polar oceans:

     From Fig. 1 we see that several long N-S leads developed on or about the llth of March and large scale movements were observed in the polyna just NW of Alaska. This pattern remained relatively constant, with considerable movement in the polyna, until l9 March when several more long N-S leads developed.

   • 2004, Amber L. Johnson, Processual Archaeology: Exploring Analytical Strategies, Frames of Reference, and Culture Process:

     In addition, a number of smaller areas of the Arctic remain relatively ice-free during a portion of the winter. These ice-free areas or polynas are generally associated with deep ocean currents, wind currents, unique coastline configurations, and/or freshwater drainages.

   • 2006, George A. Knox, Biology of the Southern Ocean, Second Edition, page 11:

     Polynas play an important role in heat transfer from the oceans to the atmosphere, ice production, the formation of dense shelf water, spring disintegration of sea ice, phytoplankton and zooplankton production, and the distribution of higher trophic animals such as cephalopods, fish, birds, seals, and cetaceans. Within polynas, the oceanic heat loss may be 10–100 times above that of the icecovered surface.

   • 2008 June 20, Jane George, “The secret life of snowy owls”, in Nunatsiaq Online:

     Researchers now plan to compare their routes with satellite images and see whether the owls stayed around the polynas, where snowy owls have been seen, picking off eiders swimming in the open water.

• palyno-, play on