On our flight back from Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday, the route took us over the southern tip of Greenland, the largest island on our planet. It was our first encounter with that land of ice, rock and scenic fjords and, for twenty minutes or so, we were mesmerized by the spectacle, 34,000 feet below.
Sparsely populated by humans, this Arctic nation is an independent territory of Denmark. Mountain ranges run along its east and west coasts while a massive ice sheet covers 80% of the island's surface. Icebergs speckled the fjords as we passed over Greenland and the majesty of its landscape was truly inspiring.
Of course, one cannot mention Greenland without invoking the fact that its Arctic ecosystem is threatened by global warming. The rate of melting has sharply increased and the total loss of Greenland's ice sheet would raise sea levels by 24 feet, a disaster for island and coastal communities and ecosystems across the planet.
See also: Greenland and Iceland and The Greenland Ice Sheet
Sparsely populated by humans, this Arctic nation is an independent territory of Denmark. Mountain ranges run along its east and west coasts while a massive ice sheet covers 80% of the island's surface. Icebergs speckled the fjords as we passed over Greenland and the majesty of its landscape was truly inspiring.
Of course, one cannot mention Greenland without invoking the fact that its Arctic ecosystem is threatened by global warming. The rate of melting has sharply increased and the total loss of Greenland's ice sheet would raise sea levels by 24 feet, a disaster for island and coastal communities and ecosystems across the planet.
See also: Greenland and Iceland and The Greenland Ice Sheet
