Smoke from Antarctic glaciers? , a NASA satellite captures rare views from space

(CNN) Images taken this month by a NASA satellite show a rare sight of what appears to be smoke rising from a major glacier in western Antarctica.

This phenomenon, called “sea fog” (sea fog), is fog, not fog. This satellite image shows a shelf of white cotton-like layers above where the Pine Island Glacier meets the ocean.

Rain and wind played an important role in producing sea fog. Strong winds blew away the ice and cold water, causing warm water to rise to the surface, NASA said. The warm water was injecting warm, moist air into the very dry, cold air that flowed above. The collision of heat and cold caused moisture in the air to turn into fog.

From the ground, it might look like someone is operating a creepy machine that creates smoke inside a floating house. The area near the surface of the sea is surrounded by fog or a strange fog that resembles fog, which is why it was nicknamed “sea fog.”

Sea fog itself is not unusual and can occur when very cold, dry air passes over warm water. In the Great Lakes of the United States, it is often seen when the first cold wave of winter comes from the Arctic and passes over waters that are still warm.

However, NASA says satellites rarely observe the Pine Island glacier because the area is usually covered by clouds.

The Pine Island Glacier is an integral part of Antarctica and is often seen, but is threatened by global warming. The glacier acts as a shore for the nearby large ice sheet, sending ice streams into the surrounding ocean.

This trend has increased “significantly” since the 1990s. CNN previously reported that the glacier is out of balance due to a lack of warm air, rain and snow, and is unable to replenish itself with ice.