Turquoise Ice Arch

July 27, 2007

Arch2

Provided and copyright by: Joe Decker
Summary authors & editors: Joe Decker

This dramatic, turquoise ice arch was photographed in Røde Fjord, Greenland, on September 15, 2006. The interior height of this arch was a bit over ten meters (~33 ft) tall. While sandstone arches are common in the American Southwest and elsewhere too, icebergs also often form shorter-lived arches. The pleasing blue/green coloration is essentially caused by myriad ice particles more effectively absorbing the longer wavelengths of light (reds and yellows) than the shorter (blue and green) wavelengths.

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