Summer Melt

A warm summer in 2022 has resulted in record melting on Svalbard. Located halfway between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole, more than half of Svalbard is normally covered in ice. But with glaciers in retreat and firn — a surface layer of compressed porous snow — melting, pale blue ice is getting direct exposure to the sun and warm air temperatures. The result has been melting 3.5 times larger than the average melt between 1981 and 2010. Look closely and you’ll find deep blue meltwater ponds dotting the ice, too. The run-off of meltwater has likely carried extra sediment into the surrounding waters, accounting for some of the paler water colors along the coast. (Image credit: J. Stevens/USGS; via NASA Earth Observatory)