The Kongsbreen and Kronebreen glaciers in Svalbard, Norway,
Åslund/Norwegian Polar Institute/Greenpeace
The mighty collision of two glaciers – Kongsbreen and Kronebreen – in Svalbard, Norway, is captured in a woven patchwork of black and white photos taken by the Norwegian Polar Institute in 1967 (fundamental image, high). Practically six a long time later, a putting panorama of the identical website reveals the dramatic ice loss within the Arctic as a consequence of local weather change (fundamental image, backside).
“It was difficult to witness because it was such a stark change from the archive photos,” says Christian Åslund, the photographer who captured the latest shot of the 2 glaciers. “You get a sense of how it has been and how it should be – it’s a completely different landscape now.”
The sharp distinction between the 2 panoramas demonstrates the disproportionate impression of rising temperatures within the Arctic. The area is warming greater than twice as shortly as the remainder of the planet in a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification. That is largely as a result of lack of sea ice, which turns into more and more susceptible to melting because it continues to dwindle. This August was the warmest ever recorded within the Svalbard area, says Åslund.
“I hope these photos serve as a reminder for people that we can all do something to collectively try to turn this tide around,” says Åslund. “We have a global responsibility to slow climate change. I don’t think it is too late.”
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