'Vanilla swirls' seen over the Atlantic, here's the surprising cause
The stunning formation occurred off the coast of Labrador this April and was captured by high-resolution satellites.
A soothing, hypnotic sight unfolded off the coast of Labrador this April.
These mesmerizing 'vanilla swirls' were captured by high-resolution satellites on April 18th.
A logical first guess on their origin would be clouds, as tropical disturbances and low-pressure systems can often display that classic swirly pattern.
But, the answer lies floating on the ocean, literally.
Highly intricate swirls of melting sea ice uncovered the normally invisible ocean currents off the coast of Labrador.
Ocean currents are always swirling in the Atlantic Ocean, with the Gulf Stream providing a strong temperature gradient south of Atlantic Canada. A series of eddies are also quite prominent off the shores of Labrador.
The eddy magic happens when a bend forms in the current, with eddies evidence of the current cut-off from the main flow of ocean waters.
Notice how the eddies circulating off the coast of Labrador are moving in two different directions?
Warmer eddies tend to rotate clockwise, while colder eddies rotate anti-clockwise.
The conditions for this swirling sea ice conglomerate require the 'Goldilocks Zone' of temperature - it has to be warm enough for the sea ice to fragment, but cool enough to remain in a frozen state. These swirling masses of ice aren't particularly unusual and are normally captured during the spring and summer months.