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Greenland

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8 Photos
The calving front of Petermann Glacier in northern Greenland as seen from a NASA P-3B. In July 2012 an iceberg twice the size of Manhattan broke off of Petermann Glacier and began to float away in the ocean. After this calving event the line where the iceberg broke away became the glacier&apos;s new front edge, or calving front, effectively moving it several kilometers upstream. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger.
Pictured is the calving front of Kangerdlugssup Glacier in central west Greenland, where large chunks of ice break off from the glaciers to form icebergs. Icebergs are comprised of frozen freshwater and not saltwater. Several large icebergs in the fjord are on the right surrounded by the so-called mélange, which is a dense mix of iceberg bits and sea ice floating in the fjord. The mélange plays a role in how many icebergs a glacier can produce by stabilizing the calving front. Scientists estimate the lifespan of an iceberg to be as long as 3,000 years. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger.
Frozen fjord along northeast coast of Greenland as seen from a P-3 aircraft on 14 May 2012. Credit: NASA/Jim Yungel.
The Steensby Glacier in norothern Greenland flows around a sharp bend in a deep canyon. The glacier is located at 81 degrees north in Nyboe Land and flows into the St. Georges Fjord. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger.
View of Qaqortoq from the sea. Founded in 1775, the town - the largest in south Greenland - has 3,200 inhabitants and is a cultural and commercial center of the region.
Carvings in Qaqortoq.
Carvings in Qaqortoq.
Hans Island, an uninhabited island located between Canada’s Ellesmere Island and Greenland (an autonomous territory of Denmark), was the center of a “whiskey war” between Canada and Denmark from 1984 to 2022. The island was named for Greenlandic Inuk explorer Hans Hendrik, who was part of the 1853 expedition to the barren 130 h (320 acre) island that established Denmark’s claim. Canada then operated a scientific station there during World War II, and a Canadian oil company later operated nearby. In 1984, the Danish prime minister planted a flag on the island, prompting the Canadians to plant their flag – and leave a bottle of whiskey for the Danes. The Danes reciprocated with a flag-raising and a bottle of schnapps for the Canadians. This “war” lasted until an agreement in 2022 split the island in half. The agreement was sealed with a final exchange of spirits.
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