SPACEPHOTOS

This image from August 23rd, 2002, shows the summer thaw around northwest Greenland. As summer progressed, snow retreated from the coastlines, exposing bare, rocky ground, and seasonal sea ice melted in fjords and inlets. Some sea ice remnants are visible just off the coast at the top of the image. Meanwhile, all along the coast, sunlight reflects off sediments in the melting sea ice to create bright turquoise-blue highlights in the waters of the fjords and inlets. To the east, layers of snow still cover the ground, obscuring the inland features of Greenland. To the west, the Davis Strait is a dark, blue-black color covered by a streak of clouds down its middle. Beyond the Davis Strait, just visible at the lower left corner of the image, is the edge of the Cumberland Peninsula on the southern end of Baffin Island (Canada).