Meltwater ponds along Greenland West Coast
Aqua blue puddles of meltwater pond in the fjords of Western Greenland in this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image. By August 26, 2003 when the Aqua satellite captured this image, the ice cap to the right of the exposed brown rocks showed definite signs of melting. The grayish cast of the ice on the edge of the icecap shows that it is saturated with liquid water. Dark blue spots on the ice are pools of liquid water forming on the ice. Greenland’s ice cap melted more this year than in previous years. The sea ice in the region has also been declining. For more information, see Vanishing Ice.