How did the Arctic ocean get covered in thousands of delicate ice flowers?

How did the Arctic ocean get covered in thousands of delicate ice flowers?:

On a research trip to the Arctic, biologist Jeff Bowman witnessed a bizarre scene. Overnight, surface of the ocean had sprouted thousands and thousands of what seemed to be delicate ice flowers. They floated on the surface, sparkling like improbable geophysical artifacts. What caused it? More »