Iceberg Alley

A large iceberg breaks away from the Helheim Glacier and floats among slabs of pack ice in Sermilik Fjord along the southeastern coast of Greenland. The glacier, about 3 miles wide at its mouth, has been shrinking rapidly in recent years. Using moorings specially designed to help avoid and withstand damage from icebergs, WHOI researchers have investigated whether warming ocean waters in the fjord are melting the tongue of the glacier, where it meets the ocean, and accelerating the glacier’s flow into the fjord. That flow is sending an influx of fresh water into the North Atlantic, which could affect ocean circulation and climate in the region. (Photo courtesy of Nick Cobbing, Greenpeace International)