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Watch this stunning video of Greenland’s ice sheet

At the heart of man-made climate change, Greenland's ice sheet is both stunning and fragile when seen from the air.

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


I shot this video while on a flight back from Reykjavik, Iceland to Washington, DC on August 21, 2013. Our flight was treated to a glimpse of a portion of the ice sheet over southern Greenland and some smaller glaciers meeting the frigid North Atlantic. Watch in HD and full-screen, trust me.

Thankfully the skies were clear and sun was bright, providing us with a glimpse of a portion of the ice sheet we hear so much about - perhaps the most visible manifestation of our contribution to climate change. It's also a chance to marvel at the scale of something much larger than ourselves.


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I also snapped some photos of the pass, including my favorite shot of a glacier melting before it ends completely at the water (third one down). Even though we were 12 km in the air, the mountains and glaciers look much closer than that.

I'm basing my location guess off of FlightAware, as the in-flight map wasn't working (IcelandAir 645).

David Wogan is an engineer and policy researcher who writes about energy, technology, and policy.

David's academic and professional background includes a unique blend of technology and policy in the field of energy systems. Most recently, David worked at Austin Energy, a Texas municipal utility, implementing a Department of Energy stimulus grant related to energy efficiency. Previously, David was a member of the Energy & Climate Change team at the White House Council on Environmental Quality for the Obama Administration.

David holds two Master's degrees from The University of Texas at Austin in Mechanical Engineering and Public Affairs. While at UT, David was a researcher in the Webber Energy Group, where his research focused on advanced biofuel production to offset petroleum use in the transportation sector. David holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, where he researched nuclear non-proliferation measurement technology.

David is a 2013 Aspen Institute Journalism Scholar, joining a select group of journalists from Slate, ABC News, and The New York Times.

David lives in Austin, Texas. Follow along on Twitter or email him at david.wogan@me.com.

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