Along the road
After waiting for over two weeks for his mate to return from the sea and relieve him of nest duty, the penguin’s hunger helps him make the decision to abandon his egg in search of fish and krill in the sea. Extensive sea ice has made the journey to the ice edge longer than normal. Abandoned eggs have led to a reduction in the Adelie penguin population.
A killer whale swims amid floating ice in the Ross Sea. Researchers from NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center are studying the whales to determine if there are three separate species of Antarctic killer whales. They took aerial photographs, such as this one taken in January 2005, as part of their work.
If the Antarctic continues warming, we can expect more Òice scourÓ -- where icebergs bump into the seafloor -- and, in turn, more physical damage to seafloor habitat. Researchers currently know little about the ecological effects of ice scour. It may harm seafloor life, particularly across small areas, but it may also encourage biodiversity by making habitat more varied across larger areas. Dan Smale and colleagues at the Natural Environment Research Council in Cambridge, UK, set up an underwater network of concrete markers, spaced at regular intervals in three dimensions, at a site off the West Antarctic Peninsula. Each January from 2004 to 2008, scuba divers surveyed the markers to determine how frequently they were being hit by icebergs. The percentage of damaged markers in a given year ranged from 11.5 percent to 44.4 percent and corresponded to the duration of "fast ice coverage," the number of days per year when the immediate area was entirely covered with attached sea ice. The
[#Beginning of Shooting Data Section] Nikon CoolPix885 0000/00/00 00:00:00 JPEG (8-bit) Normal Image Size: 2048 x 1536 Color ConverterLens: None Focal Length: 8mm Exposure Mode: Programmed Auto Metering Mode: Center-Weighted 1/1000 sec - f/7.6 Exposure Comp.: -1 EV Sensitivity: Auto White Balance: Auto AF Mode: AF-C Tone Comp: Contrast (+) Flash Sync Mode: Slow Sync Electric Zoom Ratio: 1.00 Saturation comp: 0 Sharpening: Auto Noise Reduction: OFF [#End of Shooting Data Section]
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Soil biologist Diana Wall looks out across the Taylor Valley near Lake Hoare, where her group was checking on an experiment on Jan. 17, 2006. Wall is one of the original principal investigators in the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research project.
G for 11/15 - 15things - Polar Atrium Alive - Brooks de Wetter-Smith's Ice Tunnel (Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum)
Visitors looks up as fish swim in the aquarium tunnel in Dubai Mall, which covers the area of 50 soccer pitches, November 4, 2008. The Dubai Mall, which officially opened today, includes the aquarium, one of the world's largest, an Olympic-sized ice rink, a gold souq and shops covering 5.9 million sq ft. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES)
The 100-strong fleet sail past the historic three-masted clipper 'James Craig' (C) after the start of the annual 628 nautical mile Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on December 26, 2008. Defending winner 'Wild Oats XI' is again firm favourate to win Australia's premier blue water classic in fine conditions. AFP PHOTO/Torsten BLACKWOOD (Photo credit should read TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images)
The tall ships Lady Washington, right, and Hawaiian Chieftain, left, sail on San Francisco Bay, Monday, Oct. 20, 2008. The tall ships arrived from Grays Harbor, Wash., and are on an educational visit to the Bay area.(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
This handout photo shows Australian supermaxi 'Wild Oats XI', skippered by Mark Richards, sailing past Tasman Island at sunrise as it approaches the finish line of the 64th annual 628-nautical mile Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on December 28, 2008. 'Wild Oats XI' won Australia's premier blue water classic for a record fourth consecutive year in an elapsed time of one day, 20 hours, 34 minutes and 14 seconds. RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE AFP PHOTO/ROLEX/Daniel FORSTER (Photo credit should read DANIEL FORSTER/AFP/Getty Images)
A ship sailes under the Flaubert bridge on the Seine river upon its arrival at Rouen's harbour, western France, during the Sail 2008 armada event, on July 03 2008. The armada, a gathering of the world biggest sailing boats, is on its way to the sea, where it should arrive on July 14. AFP PHOTO ROBERT FRANCOIS (Photo credit should read ROBERT FRANCOIS/AFP/Getty Images)
A replica of "Argo", the mythical ship that bore Jason and the Argonauts on their heroic quest for the Golden Fleece, sails in the Corinth canal in Korinthos, some 80 kms west of Athens on July 2, 2008. The 50-oar ship carries a crew from all 27 European Union member-states and will sail a total distance of 1,200 nautical miles (2,222 kilometres) from Volos to Venice. The Argo was originally scheduled to replicate the Argonauts' legendary journey from the ancient port of Iolkos, near modern-day Volos, to the Black Sea kingdom of Colchis in today's Georgia. But organiszrs were unable to secure assurances for the ship's safe passage through Turkey. AFP PHOTO / ARIS MESSINIS (Photo credit should read ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images)
In this photo released by Rolex, Limit sails past Tasman Island towards the finish line in Hobart during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Australia Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Rolex, Daniel Forster) ** EDITORIAL USE ONLY NO SALES **
The ARM Cuauhtemoc, a sail training vessel of the Mexican Navy, named after the last Aztec emperor, sails on the River Mersey as part of the Tall Ships race in Liverpool, England, for the Capital of Culture celebrations, Monday July 21, 2008, with the Liver Building at left. An estimated 300,000 people have visited the ships in the tree days they have been docked in Liverpool.(AP Photo/Peter Byrne-pa) ** UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE **
A folk stuntman sprays molten iron against a concrete wall to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Nuanquan town of Yuxian County, Hebei province February 8, 2009. For over 300 years, the village has carried out the tradition of spraying molten iron at 1,300 degrees Celsius (2,372 degrees Fahrenheit) against a cold concrete wall to form sparks like fireworks during Lantern Festival, local media reported. The Lantern Festival is the last day of the Chinese New Year and falls on February 9 this year. REUTERS/Jason Lee (CHINA)
A building located next to the construction site of the new China Central Television (CCTV) is seen on fire in Beijing February 9, 2009. Fire consumed a building in Beijing that formed part of Central China Television's new headquarters, as residents launched fireworks throughout the city to celebrate the Lantern Festival on Monday evening. REUTERS/China Daily (CHINA). CHINA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA.
A general view shows the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (R) which caught fire next to the CCTV (L) building in Beijing February 10, 2009. Fire consumed a building in Beijing that formed part of Central China Television's new headquarters, as residents launched fireworks throughout the city to celebrate the Lantern Festival on Monday evening. REUTERS/Jason Lee (CHINA)
People attend the spring equinox in front of the Kukulkan Pyramid in Chichen Itza, Mexico, Saturday, March 21, 2009. This Mayan pyramid was built so that the shadows of a corner of the pyramid would fall on a stairway and create the effect of an illuminated serpent. (AP Photo/Israel Leal)
"The Americas," source MESSENGER spacecraft, Aug. 2, 2005 This fine view of North, Central and South America was taken by a mission to Mercury conducting a fly-by of our planet in order to pick up "gravity assist" momentum. MESSENGER, August 2, 2005 25beyond
BURFORD, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 21: A farmer tends to his blooming rape seed field in the hills above Burford in the Cotswolds on April 21, 2009 in Burford, United Kingdom. The quintessential English town of Burford, in the Cotswolds has been named sixth in a list of "Europe's Most Idyllic Places To Live" The survey by US business magazine Forbes ranked the town higher than Rome and Budapest. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
This undated handout photo provided by the journal Science shows Iron oxides stain the snout of the Taylor Glacier, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, forming a feature commonly referred to as Blood Falls. The iron originates from ancient subglacial brine that episodically discharges to the surface. Outflow collected at Blood Falls provides access to a unique subglacial ecosystem that harbors a microbial consortium which actively cycles iron, sulfur and carbon for growth. (AP Photo/ Science, Benjamin Urmston)
Local miner Cesar Abac uses a wooden bowl and mercury to pan for gold near at the village of Las Cristinas, southern Bolivar State, January 30, 2009. Four centuries after the lure of Venezuelan gold brought ruin to English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, the riches at one giant mine some say is cursed still haunt treasure hunters from across the globe. But the Las Cristinas saga, involving a ghost town, environmental devastation and fist-sized nuggets, underlines the risks of business in Venezuela, where the draw of natural wealth has been dulled by rule changes and economic turmoil. Picture taken January 30, 2009. To match feature VENEZUELA-GOLD/ REUTERS/Henry Romero (VENEZUELA BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT)
Smoke and other so-called ÒaerosolÓ particles can encourage or discourage cloud formation, depending on the conditions, and a new model shows how these two processes produce a joint effect on climate. This study should help researchers improve their predictions of how air pollution and naturally-occurring aerosols may influence climate change. Aerosols can produce changes in the number, size and size distribution of cloud drops. These particles can invigorate cloud growth through microphysical effects, which relate to the particlesÕ size and distribution. Or, they can inhibit clouds, through their absorption of radiation. By itself, each pathway has the opposite effect, but in nature the two pathways operate simultaneously, influencing cloud formation in different ways as cloud size and height varies. Analyzing a variety of aerosol samples from the atmosphere above the Amazon, Ilan Koren and colleagues at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, show in the Aug. 15 issue of Science how the
An enormous iceberg, right, breaks off the Knox Coast in the Australian Antarctic Territory on Jan. 11, 2008. (AP Photo/Torsten Blackwood, Pool)
A farmer works on a drought-hit paddy field on the outskirts of Chongqing municipality March 24, 2009. China is unlikely to need significant wheat imports this year as the domestic harvest has thus far escaped damage from a major drought, Nie Zhenbang, director of the State Grain Administration, said. Picture taken March 24, 2009. REUTERS/Stringer (CHINA AGRICULTURE BUSINESS SOCIETY ENVIRONMENT) CHINA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA
A visitor walks on "Broken Bridge" in Dandong on March 23, 2009 which used to connect China and North Korean before it was bombed by the US during the Korean war and is now a tourist attraction on the Yalu River. The US, South Korea and Japan have urged North Korea to drop its planned April 4-8 rocket launch which they say is a pretext to test-fire a long-range Taepodong-2 missile, capable of reaching Alaska. AFP PHOTO/Peter PARKS (Photo credit should read PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)
Ericsson 3 wins leg 5 of Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 from Qingdao, China to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ericsson Racing Team, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo credit: Oskar Kihlborg/ Ericsson Racing Team 2009
Ericsson Racing Team training in Lanzarote, Spain for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009. Volvo Open 70s Ericsson 2 and Ericsson 3. ©Oskar Kihlborg/Ericsson Racing Team
Team russia chasing E3 in The Volvo Ocean Race in-port race Alicante. Alicante Spain. ©Oskar Kihlborg/Ericsson Racing Team
A voter walks towards a polling station to cast her ballot at Bapally, 110 km (68 miles) west of the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, April 16, 2009. With Maoist insurgents stepping up attacks, tens of millions of Indians began voting in a month-long general election on Thursday with signs an unstable coalition may emerge in the middle of an economic slowdown. REUTERS/Krishnendu Halder (INDIA POLITICS ELECTIONS IMAGE OF THE DAY TOP PICTURE)
Voters cross the Chenab valley on a cable car to cast their ballot in Doda, about 175 km (109 miles) north of Jammu, during the second phase of the country's general election April 23, 2009. Millions of Indians, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, voted on Thursday under the shadow of violence in the second stage of a month-long general election that could throw up a weak coalition. REUTERS/Amit Gupta (INDIAN-ADMINISTERED KASHMIR ELECTIONS POLITICS)
A general view shows the Jewish settlement of Har Homa in east Jerusalem on June 3, 2009. Obama reitererated on June 4 US support for a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel, calling on Palestinians to renounce violence and on Israel to put an end to settlements. TOPSHOTS/AFP PHOTO/AHMAD GHARABLI (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/Getty Images)
An aerial view of the Imam Musa al-Kadhim mosque located in the Shiite Muslim neighborhood of Kadhimiyah in north Baghdad on the Karkh (west bank) of the Tigris River on June 24, 2009. As of June 25, 2009, some 64 people have been killed in several explosions across Shiite Muslim districts of the capital in the past 24 hours. AFP PHOTO / AHMAD AL-RUBAYE (Photo credit should read AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)
An aerial view of the Punta della Dogana (C) in Venice on June 02, 2009. French businessman and art collector Francois Pinault, who already owns the Palazzo Grassi, will inaugurate a second contemporary art exhibition space in the Punta della Dogana, the late-17th-century Punta della Dogana, the pointy spit of land at the tip of Dorsoduro that once served as the gateway to the port of Venice. AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI (Photo credit should read ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images)
Two gondolas sail in front of the Punta della Dogana (C) in Venice on June 2, 2009. French businessman and art collector Francois Pinault, who already owns the Palazzo Grassi, will inaugurate a second contemporary art exhibition space in the Punta della Dogana, the late-17th-century Punta della Dogana, the pointy spit of land at the tip of Dorsoduro that once served as the gateway to the port of Venice. AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI (Photo credit should read ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images)
This handout photo released by Greenpeace shows scientists Jason Box of Ohio State University's Byrd Polar Research Center and polar expedition expert Eric Philips, both members of the Greenpeace Arctic Impacts tour, assisted by experts in ice logistics, set up one of a series of time-lapse cameras surveying the 16km wide Petermann Glacier, in north west Greenland on July 29, 2009. The Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise has arrived in the area, to carry out several weeks scientific research into the impacts of climate change, and to bear witness to the glacier's disintegration. AFP PHOTO/Handout/Greenpeace/Nick Cobbing ---RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE--- (Photo credit should read NICK COBBING/AFP/Getty Images)
A polar bear walks along the edge of 'the ice bridge' in the Robeson channel, near the border between Greenland and Canada June 29, 2009. Greenpeace and leading climate scientists are in Greenland for a 3 month expedition using their icebreaking ship the Arctic Sunrise to gather climate change data for the Copenhagen climate summit in December 2009. Picture taken June 29, 2009. REUTERS/Nick Cobbing/Greenpeace (GREENLAND ENVIRONMENT) QUALITY FROM SOURCE. NO SALES. NO ARCHIVES. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS
The Arctic Sunrise reaches 'the ice bridge' in the Robeson channel, near the border between Greenland and Canada June 29, 2009. Greenpeace and leading climate scientists are in Greenland for a 3 month expedition using their icebreaking ship the Arctic Sunrise to gather climate change data for the Copenhagen climate summit in December 2009. Picture taken June 29, 2009. REUTERS/Nick Cobbing/Greenpeace (GREENLAND ENVIRONMENT) QUALITY FROM SOURCE. NO SALES. NO ARCHIVES. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS
A statue of Viking explorer Leif Erikson overlooks the village of Qassiarsuk July 30, 2009 where Erikson's father Erik the Red founded his first settlement in southern Greenland around 985 AD. REUTERS/Bob Strong (GREENLAND TRAVEL SOCIETY)
An iceberg floats near a harbour in the town of Kulusuk, east Greenland August 1, 2009. Picture taken August 1. REUTERS/Bob Strong (GREENLAND TRAVEL ENVIRONMENT)
Houses are illuminated by the early morning sun in the town of Tasiilaq in eastern Greenland August 4, 2009. REUTERS/Bob Strong (GREENLAND ENVIRONMENT)
Icebergs are reflected in the waters of Eriks Fjord near the town of Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland July 26, 2009. REUTERS/Bob Strong (GREENLAND ENVIRONMENT TRAVEL)
A dirt road leads to the local cemetary outside the town of Tasiilaq in eastern Greenland August 4, 2009. REUTERS/Bob Strong (GREENLAND ENVIRONMENT)
Picture taken on July 2, 2009 of fisherman Bo Lings and his daughter Julia in the village of Assaqutuaq, western Greenland. 'Polar sharks tangle themselves by the thousands in fishing nets, it's a big problem' says Bo Lings, ex-chief mecanic on a greenlandic fishing trawler. Arctic Technology Centre (ARTEK) are developing means to transform the sharks' oily flesh into biogas. AFP PHOTO/ Slim Allagui (Photo credit should read Slim ALLAGUI/AFP/Getty Images)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY SLIM ALLAGUI Danish glacier expert Andreas Peter Ahlstroem stands in front of the Ilulissat glacier, some 7/10 kilometers away on July 3. 2009. Greenland's Ilulissat glacier, which has become a symbol of climate change, lost 94 square kilometres (60 square miles) of surface area between 2001 and 2005 due to global warming, according to a US study published last year. In 2004 Ilulissat Icefjord was admitted onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List. AFP PHOTO SLIM ALLAGUI (Photo credit should read Slim ALLAGUI/AFP/Getty Images)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY SLIM ALLAGUI A fisherman sails on the Ice Fjord of Ilulissat, Greenland which remains stuck gigantic by icebergs, on July 3, 2009. Greenland's Ilulissat glacier, which has become a symbol of climate change, lost 94 square kilometres (60 square miles) of surface area between 2001 and 2005 due to global warming, according to a US study published last year. In 2004 Ilulissat Icefjord was admitted onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List. TOPSHOTS AFP PHOTO/SLIM ALLAGUI (Photo credit should read Slim ALLAGUI/AFP/Getty Images)
Icebergs are shrouded in an early morning fog near the south Greenland town of Narsaq July 28, 2009. REUTERS/Bob Strong (GREENLAND ENVIRONMENT)
Icebergs float in a fjord near the south Greenland town of Narsaq July 28, 2009. REUTERS/Bob Strong (GREENLAND ENVIRONMENT IMAGES OF THE DAY)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY SLIM ALLAGUI Ice Fjord of Ilulissat in Greenland is pictured on July 3, 2009. There are not many animals in this area but bird and fish abound. In 2004 Ilulissat Icefjord was admitted onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List. AFP PHOTO/ SLIM ALLAGUI (Photo credit should read Slim ALLAGUI/AFP/Getty Images)
Icebergs float in the calm waters of a fjord, south of Tasiilaq in eastern Greenland August 4, 2009. REUTERS/Bob Strong (GREENLAND ENVIRONMENT)
Denmark's Queen Margrethe, left, presents the official law of self-rule to the Chairman of Greenland's council Josef Motzfeldt in Nuuk, Greenland Sunday, June 21, 2009. Greenland is celebrating the introduction of self-rule on its national day. Residents of the giant Arctic island see the change Sunday as a step toward independence from Denmark. (AP Photo/POLFOTO, Jorgen Chemnitz, Sermitsiak) ** DENMARK OUT NO ARCHIVES **
Large moulin on the surface of the Greenland ice sheet.----- Two new studies of ice sheet motion and melting suggest that surface melting can produce dramatic drainage and seismic shifting on the Greenland Ice Sheet. But, surface melt that eventually lubricates the bottom of the ice sheet and accelerates its slide over bedrock may not be enough, by itself, to cause catastrophic loss of ice sheet mass. Sarah Das, of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and colleagues observed one large surface glacial lake that drained in less than two hours, pouring water down through a 980-meter-thick ice sheet at an average rate exceeding that of the flow at Niagara Falls. Locally, the ice sheet shifted vertically and horizontally as a result. In a second study combining a variety of western Greenland ice sheet observations, the researchers found that seasonal surface melting was responsible for a relatively small amount of the total yearly ice sheet displacement. This research appears in the 17 A
A large meltwater stream rushes across the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet filling a supraglacial lake.----[Image courtesy of Sarah Das, WHOI] ----- Two new studies of ice sheet motion and melting suggest that surface melting can produce dramatic drainage and seismic shifting on the Greenland Ice Sheet. But, surface melt that eventually lubricates the bottom of the ice sheet and accelerates its slide over bedrock may not be enough, by itself, to cause catastrophic loss of ice sheet mass. Sarah Das, of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and colleagues observed one large surface glacial lake that drained in less than two hours, pouring water down through a 980-meter-thick ice sheet at an average rate exceeding that of the flow at Niagara Falls. Locally, the ice sheet shifted vertically and horizontally as a result. In a second study combining a variety of western Greenland ice sheet observations, the researchers found that seasonal surface melting was responsible for a relatively
Picture taken on July 2, 2009 of a Greenlandic fisherman sorting out his nights catch in Sarfannquak, western Greenland. 'Polar sharks tangle themselves by the thousands in fishing nets, it's a big problem' says fisherman. Arctic Technology Centre (ARTEK) are developing means to transform the sharks' oily flesh into biogas. AFP PHOTO/ Slim Allagui (Photo credit should read Slim ALLAGUI/AFP/Getty Images)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY Slim Allagui View shows the port of Nuuk on July 6, 2009. From his trawler that motors along the Nuuk fjord, fisherman Johannes Heilmann has watched helplessly in recent years as climate change takes its toll on Greenland. Global warming is occurring twice as fast in the Arctic as in the rest of the world. AFP PHOTO / Slim ALLAGUI (Photo credit should read Slim ALLAGUI/AFP/Getty Images)
Wildflowers bloom on a hill overlooking a fjord filled with icebergs near the south Greenland town of Narsaq July 27, 2009. REUTERS/Bob Strong (GREENLAND ENVIRONMENT TRAVEL IMAGES OF THE DAY)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY SLIM ALLAGUI: Picture taken on July 3, 2009 of the Greenlandic village of Sarfannquag perched up on a hillside. The 120 inhabitants of the village are waiting to be equipped with wind turbines to reduce their dependance on petrol and free them from their isolation. AFP PHOTO / Slim Allagui (Photo credit should read Slim ALLAGUI/AFP/Getty Images)
A visitor takes pictures of the Twin Glacier near the south Greenland town of Narsaq July 28, 2009. REUTERS/Bob Strong (GREENLAND ENVIRONMENT TRAVEL)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY SLIM ALLAGUI Aerial view of the Ice glacier of Ilulissat, Greenland taken on July 3. 2009. Greenland's Ilulissat glacier, which has become a symbol of climate change, lost 94 square kilometres (60 square miles) of surface area between 2001 and 2005 due to global warming, according to a US study published last year. In 2004 Ilulissat Icefjord was admitted onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List. AFP PHOTO SLIM ALLAGUI (Photo credit should read Slim ALLAGUI/AFP/Getty Images)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY SLIM ALLAGUI --- (FILES) Greenlanders promote "Yes" to the proposal to give the semi-autonomous Danish territory self-rule, in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, on November 25, 2008. After almost 300 years under Danish rule, the Arctic island of Greenland is set to wrest control of its vast natural resources from Copenhagen. Just over 75 percent of Greenlanders voted to take back more powers from Copenhagen in a referendum last November after years of negotiations. Greenland's new self-rule status takes effect on June 21. AFP PHOTO/Slim Allagui (Photo credit should read Slim ALLAGUI/AFP/Getty Images)
Denmark's Queen Margrethe (C) and her husband, Prince Henrik, attend the ceremonies to celebrate the new era of self rule of Greenland in Nuuk on June 21, 2009. The new status took effect as Greenland celebrated its national day, six months after 75 percent of voters approved a referendum demanding more power for the local government and control of the island's vast natural resources -- gas, gold, diamonds and oil. Denmark granted Greenland limited sovereignty when its parliament approved home rule in 1979. AFP PHOTO/SCANPIX/ Keld Navntoft (Photo credit should read KELD NAVNTOFT/AFP/Getty Images)
People attend ceremonies in Nuuk, Greenland, on Sunday June 21, 2009, to celebrate their national day, and to mark gaining greater powers of self rule from Denmark, in a move that many residents see as a step toward independence from Denmark. Copenhagen has ruled Greenland for about three centuries, but now the local government is taking control of the police and the courts, Greenlandic, or “Kalaallisut”, becomes the official language, and Greenlanders will be treated as a separate people under international law. (AP Photo/POLFOTO, Jorgen Chemnitz, Sermitsiak) ** DENMARK OUT ** NO ARCHIVES **
Wildflowers bloom on a hill overlooking the Narsarsuaq glacier in southern Greenland July 25, 2009. REUTERS/Bob Strong (GREENLAND ENVIRONMENT TRAVEL)
Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2009.
A vintage car drives by a mural showing Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro (R), national hero Jose Marti and revolution leader Che Guevara (L) in Havana August 13, 2009. Castro marked his 83rd birthday on Thursday with a gloomy warning about the global economic crisis, which is hitting his country hard, and a vow to "carry on." REUTERS/Desmond Boylan (CUBA POLITICS ANNIVERSARY IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Canon Beach in Northern Oregon is an exceptionally wide, long and flat beach with a number of large rock islands and sea stacks offshore. Low tide is often the best time to see it because you can get closer to the rocks and the sand is glossy and smooth both for walking and for photography. On this morning, a small hole opened up in the clouds deck and for two short minutes, the sun illuminated this scene against a dark sky. I had already moved into a good position with the ripples pointing towards the middle stack. After that, I hoped for some nice light!
Huge waves break over the lighthouse on Newhaven Harbour as the country braces itself for more gales and rain, Newhaven, East Sussex, England, on November 14, 2009. AFP PHOTO / Glyn Kirk (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)
On my second day visiting the astounding Iguazu falls on the Brazilian side I was forced to change to my telephoto lens as my wide angle had been damaged by the water vapour. In had rained solid for 10 days prior to my arrival and so the falls were at their most spectacular. Standing on the elevated viewing platform I was able to shoot this school group who stood transfixed emphasising the incredible size of the falls.
During a rainy, cloudy, morning at the Wild Goose scenic overlook on St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park, Montana, the sun peeped from under the cloud cover long enough to paint a golden-yellow swath across the face of the mountain for maybe 15 minutes before disappearing again.
This is one view of many dunes found in Jordan. Two steps forward and one step back made for a challaging assend.
A stone's eye view of two tracks made by the sailing stones of Death Valley's Racetrack playa. The dried clay surface has a beautiful texture, and there is a palpable aura of mystery over the entire 3 square mile playa. The Racetrack was not entirely free of human influence though: several weeks before this was taken many of the stones were stolen; leaving long trails without a traveler at the end.
When the wave conditions are right a wave appears, infrequently, as a result of the splash-back off the cliff connecting with an incoming wave. This causes the incoming wave to pop up creating fan-like shapes. On this particular day over the 2hrs I spent on the rocks this wave only appeared once. This is that shot.
IMAGES ARE FOR YOUR ONE-TIME EXCLUSIVE USE ONLY AS A TIE-IN WITH THE 2009 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC INTERNATIONAL PHOTO CONTEST. NO SALES, NO TRANSFERS. FOR CAPTION/CREDIT INFORMATION, CONTACT KATE BAYLOR AT KBAYLOR@NGS.ORG OR 202.862.5299.
I was in the front car of the short subway between Pudong and the Bund, and was treated to the wonderful spectacle of an oncoming train in the tunnel's changing-light show. I put my camera up to the window and shot as fast as possible to get this image.
A combination photo shows the hill of the Acropolis before and during Earth Hour in Athens March 27, 2010. Earth Hour, when everyone around the world is asked to turn off lights for an hour from 8.30 p.m. local time, is meant as a show of support for tougher action to confront climate change. REUTERS/Yiorgos Karahalis (GREECE - Tags: ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY CITYSCAPE)
Waves approaching Ke'e beach changing from aqua to turquiose
Dania Beach Pier, FL.
Taken during our recent visit to Kauai, this is one of the locations visited by Hawaiian Landmark Images EZ photo tour. http://www.hawaiianphotos.net/Kauaitours.htm Tonemapped HDR of a bay on Kauai. Canon 5D Mark II, 24-105mm f/4L at 24mm f/8 with polarizing filter, Photomatix Pro 3, Adobe Photoshop CS4, Topaz Denoise 3 Tonemapped using Detail Enhancer.
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