Svalbard surfaces

Svalbard is an Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Due to it's far north location vegetation is sparse without taller trees except dwarf birch in Adventdalen. Where green vegetation exists, it is usually connected with bird mountains. Birds fertilizes the ground giving lush green vegetation spots - moss, grass and small, flowering plants. The Gulf stream with the North Atlantic Current passes western Svalbard making this side richer. With little vegetation an unusual amount of rock is exposed, and can be viewed uninterrupted over long sections. A comparable diversity is not found anywhere else in northern Europe and no other places are so many geological periods conserved in rock. Svalbard is one of the few places in the world providing access to study sections of representing most of earth's history. Glaciers make up 60 percent of Svalbard's land area and shapes it's surface. A glacier is a persistent body of ice and snow that is constantly moving under its own weight. Valleys and fjords are carved out and moraines built up consisting of rocks and regolith. The images were taken during a cruise around Svalbard summer 2018. Grey and overcast weather produced muted colors, emphasisizing structure and shape.