New Zealand's team at Scott Base in Antarctica's has welcomed an early arrival of open water, after having solid ice over the Ross Sea since summer last year.
No more ice - the view from Scott Base on Friday morning. Photo: ANTARCTICA NEW ZEALAND
Antarctica New Zealand's chef at the base Tracy Christoffersen said scientists removed the last equipment from the sea ice close to shore just two days ago. She said when the woke up on Friday the ice had gone.
"Last night when I went to bed the sea ice had all moved back into the shore, so it was absolutely white but with cracks right through it. And, this morning the ice has completely flowed out away from our area, and it's pretty much open water all the way round the foreshore."
Ms Christoffersen said the ice had broken earlier than normal due to a warm spell in December.
In an email to Radio New Zealand, Antarctica New Zealand communications adviser Lisa-Marie Brooks said they hadn't expected the ice to disappear so quickly.
"While we hoped it would break out soon it took us a bit by surprise at how quickly it blew out."
She said the temperature on the ice on Friday morning was a chilly -16 degrees Celsis, with a light 11km/h north-north-east wind.