Is the ice in the polar ice cap fresh- or saltwater, or a combination?
Even though it comes from salty ocean water, the sea ice that forms in the Arctic and Antarctic is fresh water. And while the presence of salt lowers the freezing point of ocean water, it can and does freeze. However, the salt molecules are rejected back into the liquid as the ice forms, resulting in freshwater ice floating in a briny solution. The land ice over Greenland and Antarctica is also fresh water, and results from the accumulation of snowfall over long time periods. Learn more about the formation and chemistry of ice on this USA TODAY resource page. (Answered by meteorologist Bob Swanson, USA TODAY’s assistant weather editor, Jan.
