Monday, 18th October 2010
Crystal Beach
by Christian Klepp
One of the outlets of the southern Icelandic icecap of Vatnajokull is the glacier of Breidamerkurjokull which ends in the glacial lake of Jokulsarlon. The lake extends underneath the glacier for about 20 km. Jokulsarlon is filled with icebergs that calve from the wide glacier snout. The glacier lagoon is located at sea-level height and connects to the open ocean of the North Atlantic through a 500 m long river called Jokulsa. At high tide, the saltwater drains into the lagoon at high speed by raising the lake level significantly. When the low tide sets in, the water is torrentially discharging through the channel carrying icebergs up to 5 m in size into the ocean. These icebergs are immediately exposed to the surf and the wave action breaks them apart into smaller pieces at impressive sounds. At low tide the remains of the icebergs can be found beached on the pitch black lava beach resembling a bone yard of crystal debris. This iceberg features a spectacular hole caused by wave breaking action and is one of the larger remains with 1,5 m height. It is photographed in the last light of the day around shortly before midnight.
Equipment: Canon 5D Mk II, 10 Sek, F16, 40 mm, 50 ASA, tripod, July 2010
Christian Klepp
Geoscientist and photographer Christian Klepp runs this website project to document nature's beauty. The aim is to increase public awareness of the earth system, so that people can develop a clearer understanding of the planet. Over 200 images of spectacular landscapes accompanied by scientific explanations illustrate the perpetual change of our planet through the eons of time. Where Geoscience Meets Art
Website: www.lichtjahre.eu
Crystal Beach by Christian Klepp was photo of the day on Monday, 18th October 2010. It is tagged Ice. You can leave a comment below.
19 Comments
Davy
Quite spectacular, to say the least.
Anurag
Amazing, reminds me of the work of Salvador Dali.
Pauline Jones
Wow what a story; thanks for bringing this to us in such an informative way.
May Lanchbury
That’s just stunning, thank you so much for sharing your amazing photo along with such interesting information!
Wanda Krack
Lovely ice, and what a beautiful-sounding place!
Amontanha
original simple and lovely !!
Victoria Shelton
Beautiful!
Hanna Bouma
Love the shot! Beautiful light, shadows and colours in the ice.
Well done!
PlanetLover
Thanks for this beautiful photograph and the clear explanation of how these ice crystals come to be. Certainly Dali-esque!
Bobbi
Outstanding! Stunning! I appreciate very much the story with the mesmerizing photo.
Renee
Such a amazing capture, congrats!
Danette
Absolutely gorgeous photo, and a very interesting explanation. Thanks for sharing both!
Michele
Brilliant!!! I love your website as well. You have an amazing gift.
Laura Milholland
Magnificent image! Thanks too for telling us about these wonderful formations.
Marie Dunphy Harding
Spectacular sight to behold! Your story of the formations is both interesting and amazing. Thank you for the beauty of both!
Scott Jones
Thanks so much for the detailed explanation of the photo. Beautiful and fascinating. And even more thanks for the additional information about your efforts to promote public awareness and knowledge of geoscience.
Deborah Flowers
I most definitely agree with everyone else, this is a most spectacular sight to behold. Your explanation of how these “ice crystals” come to be is truly exceptional.
This image you have captured, has captured my heart. The splendid ovid opening is precisely placed to show a sort of secret view of the purple majesty of the mountains in the distance. And the magical blue hour colouring of the complete scene is indeed magical!
Oh..did I say how much I Lo♥e this gorgeous image!
Odessa
wow its beautiful, especially with the purplish light coming through it:)
Shirley Hill
It is overwhelming in it’s fragile beauty.You can feel the cold yet know it will soon be gone forever.
Thank you for giving us the background in this memorable photo.