Winter

A quiet gloom

The temperature of the water under the ice remains relatively stable, hovering a few degrees above zero. Warm water is heavier and sinks to the bottom, while cold water rises to the top just below the ice, where the temperature is almost zero. Because of this, it is the bottom layer of the ice that grows thicker during cold spells. The water under the ice is rich in oxygen following the autumn circulation, not that the dormant animals in the water need much of it. The snow falling on the ice blocks light from entering the water, shrouding the world below in perpetual twilight.