August 29, 2015
As glaciers shift and melt over many thousands of years, natural waterways called fjords are created. This formation of fjords is very visible in Greenland where glacial erosion has carved narrow passageways into bedrock and fresh glacial runoff flows between steep cliffs. Often multiple glaciers contribute to the same fjord. For example, four glaciers feed the glistening waters of the northwestern Wolstenholme Fjord: the Harald Moltke Glacier, The Chamberlin Glacier, the Salisbury Glacier and The Knud Rasmussen Glacier. Most fjords contain a mixture of fresh glacial water and salt water from the Arctic Ocean. The state of these fjords is constantly changing with the seasons. During the winter, the ice is frozen and therefore the flow of fresh melt water comes to a halt. Many inlet fjords in Greenland freeze over, allowing for ice fishing and making it possible to snowmobile over the surface. In the warmer months, the steady flow of fresh water allows passage for both boats and whales.
