The Daily Mail reports that a strange image has been seen in a glacier on the Austfonna ice-shelf, located on the island of Nordaustlandet in the Svalbard archipelago, a Norwegian territory north of the Arctic Circle.
At first glimpse it looks like any other glacier you might find in the freezing Arctic wastes of Norway.
But on closer inspection an eerie face is depicted in the melting ice wall that appears to be crying a river of tears.
The forlorn-looking ‘Mother Nature’ figure appeared to locals during a thaw, with the melting ice and snow falling towards the sea below.
The picture was captured by marine photographer and environmental lecturer Michael Nolan while on an annual voyage to observe the glacier and its surrounding wildlife.
There’s more at the link.
The report goes on to speculate that the image is bound to be much used by environmentalists, trying to attract attention to the melting Polar ice cap. Perhaps so . . . but it’s a pretty remarkable image, no matter how it may be used for propaganda purposes.
Nature sure comes up with some strange things, doesn’t she?
Peter
Last I heard—just a couple of weeks ago, BOTH ice caps have grown quite a bit. Greenpeace sent a schooner up north to navigate the North West passage, take photos of the open sea. Unfortunately for them they the passage was blocked with ice.
Of course, unless you knew where to look, you never saw this piece on your evening news.
Nature sure comes up with some strange things, doesn't she?
Yeah. First Michael Jackson, and now an ice sculpture of him.
Although, to be fair, I'm not sure Mr. Jackson was entirely nature's doing.
I saw Elvis in a BLT once.
Yum!
I may be becoming cynical in my old age, but I cannot help wondering how much of this image came in through the lens, and how much of it came out of PhotoShop?
I am reminded of William Dembski's search for signs of intelligent design, and his theory of specified complexity, illustrated by comparing New Hampshire's Old Man of the Mountain with the faces carved into Mt. Rushmore. This glacier seems to resemble Mt. Rushmore a lot more than it does Cannon Mountain.
The Old Guy