Ice gush and fizz in fjords make them noisiest places in ocean

Misty Fjord, Alaska Image by Jeremy Keith / CC BY 2.0

Fjords crammed with ice from tidewater glaciers are the noisiest places in the ocean, a study says.

Glacier ice in seawater releases pressurised bubbles that gush and fizz, making more noise than storms, fish or ships, the study by Alaska, Washington and Texas researchers found.

Researchers recorded sound with underwater microphones at Icy Bay and Yakutat Bay in Alaska and at Andvord Bay in Antarctica, glaciologist Erin Pettit said. She said harbour seals may flock to the Alaska fjords because the noise offers them protection from killer whales hunting by sound.

(Press Association)