The mysterious wave photographed by the satellite in Greenland: experts were surprised

A mysterious arc has been photographed in the middle of the sea in Greenland. There are two possible explanations for this strange phenomenon, but we will probably never know what caused it, experts say.

This amazing satellite image It depicts a mysterious arc in the middle of an iceberg-covered fjord in the Arctic Circle. Researchers have proposed several possible explanations for this phenomenon, but we will likely never be able to know for sure what causes it. Fjord Itiliarsop Kangerloa It is located in western Greenland, about 740 kilometers north of the capital, Nuuk. The narrow waterway, about 2.6 km long, was carved by two glaciers, Cisorartartukasak and Kanjilik, and is separated by a small island at the base of the fjord.

During the summer, the fjord’s surface is filled with thousands of tiny fragments of icebergs that have broken off from the glaciers, making the water look like a starry skyscape. However, the most interesting feature in the photo is the thin white arch that spans the fjord. According to NASA, this arc was likely a displacement wave that was moving up the fjord away from the ice masses.

What could cause this wave?

This wave was probably caused by a large piece of ice that broke off from the Kanjilik Glacier and then fell into the water. This phenomenon is similar to the ripples you see when you throw a stone into a completely calm lake. “It looks like a breakup wave to me,” said Josh Willis, an oceanographer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The “ideal shape” of the arc and the direction of the wave are similar, however From other factions Of the glaciers observed in other areas of Greenland.

Underwater column

However, this wave may have been caused by an “underwater plume” coming from the Kanjilik Glacier. These columns are formed by fresh water that mixes with the salt water of the fjord from beneath the glacier and rises to the surface. But it is difficult to ascertain the cause of this strange phenomenon without more data. “Based on satellite images alone, the cause of this arc shape may not be known with certainty,” the researchers say.

source