The polar regions are a harsh environment, with freezing temperatures and little life. However, for those who brave the summer, there is an epic feast of nature to be enjoyed. The problem is that this good time will be very short, as it is a common trait of life in these extreme conditions.
Journeying south across the Arctic ocean, the first land you reach is Greenland, the largest island in the world. Despite its name, Greenland is mostly white, covered by a giant ice sheet that is six times the size of the United Kingdom. In the middle of the island, the ice is nearly two miles thick. It is a bleak and quiet world, with sapphire-blue lakes being the only signs of life.
These melt lakes form in a matter of days, expanding until they are miles across and start to overflow. The slow water then carves its way through the ice, crossing through an icy delta that resembles blood flowing along the arteries of a cold-blooded monster. This monster, which is stirring, suddenly plunges down an open shaft, falling a vertical mile into the heart of the ice sheet without warning.
This melt water has a surprising effect. It lubricates the junction between the ice and the rock floor beneath, so the entire ice sheet is now on the move, sliding down hill into the ocean.
For those animals that come to this place in summer, the water provides an unprecedented feast. But all of this good times are short-lived, as all polar regions face one big problem: the rapid loss of sea ice.
Starting from southern Greenland and heading toward the North Pole, you will reach your first piece of land: Greenland, which is the largest island in the world (6 times bigger than England).
Apart from its name, Greenland is mostly white, with huge ice sheets covering most of it. In the center of the island, there are ice shelves nearly two miles thick.
It's a cold, quiet world. The sky here is blue and the meltwater lakes are the first signs of dynamic activity going on. Every lake forms in just a few days and spreads until they are several miles wide, before overflowing.
Slowly, water starts being carved through the ice by these lakes. Water passes through a cold delta as a blood creature does when it flows through our arteries; it's like a beast that is stirring inside us.
And there's no warning; suddenly water rushes out in great gushes and drops straight down to the center of the ice shelf.
The melted water has surprising effects. It lubricates the junction between the ice and the rock floor under it, so that an entire sheet of ice is now on the move, sliding downhill into the sea.
