• Satellite view of the Greenland ice sheet, where lakes of ice water have begun appearing. A panel shows a close-up view of one lake.
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    The Landsat 8 satellite took this image over the Greenland ice sheet, the second largest ice body in the world. Each year by mid-summer, bright blue meltwater lakes appear on its surface. Some lakes are as much as 9 meters (30 feet) deep, while others are shallow. They store a large amount of pure fresh water throughout the season, and if they get big enough they can speed up the ice sheet’s movements.

  • Satellite view of the Greenland ice sheet, where lakes of ice water have begun appearing. A panel shows a close-up view of one lake.

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WEB15168-2015

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