What's in the photo? A mysterious wave, or arc, rippling across the fjord's surface.This striking satellite photo captured a mysterious arc in an ethereal, iceberg-covered fjord deep within the Arctic Circle. Researchers proposed several possible explanations for the bizarre phenomenon, but we will likely never find out for sure what caused it.
During the summer, the fjord's surface becomes littered with thousands of tiny iceberg fragments that have sloughed off from the glaciers, making the water look like a starscape from a deep-field telescope image when viewed from above. However, the most interesting feature in the image is a thin white arc that spans across the fjord. This arc is most likely a displacement wave that was traveling up the fjord away from the ice masses, according to the Earth Observatory.
Dan Shugar,a geomorphologist at the University of Calgary, and Mike Wood, a glaciologist at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in California, also believe the arc was the result of a calving event, according to the Earth Observatory. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.related stories—Trippy satellite map of North America's largest glacier shows off 'hidden lagoon' and other secrets—ISS astronaut captures constellation of icebergs in amazing space photos