Wiktionary
n. (context hydrology English) A naturally-formed area of open water surrounded by sea ice.
Wikipedia
A polynya is an area of open water surrounded by sea ice. It is now used as geographical term for an area of unfrozen sea within the ice pack. It is a loanword from (polynya) , which refers to a natural ice hole, and was adopted in the 19th century by polar explorers to describe navigable portions of the sea. In past decades, for example, some polynyas, such as the Weddell Polynya, have lasted over multiple winters (1974–1976).
A polynya is a non-linear area of open water surrounded by sea ice.
Polynya may also refer to:
- Polynia (ship), a ship crushed in sea ice in 1891 and commemorated in the song Old Polina
- Kane’s Polynia, an open sea rumored to exist around the North Pole in the 19th century
- Polynia Island, an island in Canada once part of the British Arctic Territories
Usage examples of "polynya".
He could approach the OMEGA while it was surfaced at the polynya, hover beneath and do a vertical surfacing.
SURFACED-AT-ICE Ship rigged to stay for a long period of time surfaced at a polynya.
Clearly the polynya was big enough to allow surfacing four vessels the size of the Kaliningrad.