August 25, 2015
Glacial ice covers 85% of Greenland’s surface area. At its thickest, the ice can be 2 miles (3.2 km) deep. Glaciers are dense bodies of ice that have been compressed for thousands of years. The ice slowly moves under the compression of its own weight. This movement creates unique forms, patterns and crevasses in the ice. Icebergs are formed from the same movement, in a process called “calving,” where enormous chunks of glacial ice break off into the ocean. Typically, only 10% of an iceberg’s mass floats above water. Vivid blue icebergs are frequently observed from the coast of Greenland. When snow is intensely compressed, air bubbles are released to form ice crystals from a specific bond of oxygen and hydrogen. The bond absorbs all red hues and reflects only blue light. The more crystals there are for the light to refract through, the bluer the ice mass appears.
