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Norwegian sailor Oyvind Tangen took the photos from a research ship 660 miles north of the Antarctic. The brown and black stripes you see on the icebergs are created by sediment underneath the ice shelf, while the deep blue ice is the result of compressed snow and a lack of air bubbles.
These gorgeous frozen glaciers are also described as “frozen waves.” You can see more photos of this phenomenon on the website for the Australian Antarctic Division. While many of the shapes are suggestive of movement, the formations are actually created slowly over time with compressed ice—not in an instant as waves hit the air. Blue ice is known by explorers for being older, more solid and dependable. It’s also extraordinarily beautiful. Thanks, icebergs.
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