Ice has a secret. It's not just a frozen block; it's a powerful chemical reactor that's staining the Arctic rivers with rust. Discover the science behind the mystery of the orange rivers. #ClimateChange #Arctic #Permafrost
00:03Have you ever thought of ice as more than just a simple frozen cube?
00:08For a long time, science saw it as an inactive block, a mere container for water.
00:13But new research is proving that idea is completely wrong.
00:18What they found is astonishing.
00:20It helps us understand why Arctic rivers are turning orange.
00:24The thawing of permafrost caused by climate change is staining the rivers with rust.
00:30It might sound strange, but the reason isn't heat.
00:34The real culprit is the cold.
00:36A recent study from Yumi University in Sweden revealed that ice can dissolve iron minerals more effectively than liquid water.
00:44And it's not a guess. The numbers confirm it.
00:47Ice at 10 degrees Celsius below zero releases more iron from common minerals than water at 4 degrees Celsius.
00:55This paradox is explained by the very structure of the ice.
01:00When water freezes, it doesn't form a perfect solid.
01:03Instead, tiny microscopic pockets of liquid water are created between the ice crystals.
01:09These pockets are not passive.
01:12They act like powerful chemical reactors.
01:15Inside them, compounds become concentrated and, astonishingly, turn extremely acidic.
01:20This hyperacidic environment allows these compounds to react with iron minerals, even at temperatures as low as 30 degrees Celsius below zero.
01:31And there's more.
01:32The study discovered that freeze-thaw cycles, which are becoming more frequent as the climate warms, increase the efficiency of this dissolution process.
01:41Each time the ice melts and refreezes, it releases more and more iron from the soil and permafrost.
01:48The result is the orange-colored water we are seeing in Arctic ecosystems.
01:53This phenomenon teaches us that ice is not just a storage medium.
01:57It is a key player.
01:58The release of this iron could have a significant impact on water quality and aquatic ecosystems across vast polar and mountainous regions.
02:08This discovery underscores the enormous impact that climate change has on the natural cycling of elements on our planet.
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