Franz Josef Land Images in Exquisite Detail

Using the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument aboard the Terra spacecraft, scientists at NASA were able to capture a few exquisite images of Franz Josef Land, an archipelago located near the North Pole.

Due to the fact that it's only 600 miles (970 kilometers) from the pole, the island chain is always covered in ice, even during the summer. About 85 percent of its surface is frozen permanently. This image clearly shows how only a very few areas on multiple islands are free of snow.

This view was snapped by Terra on August 16 and 19, 2011, and contains both visible and near-infrared wavelengths. Experts say that this is what makes the ice appear both white and blue-whitish at the same time.

All the glaciers on the islands are anchored firmly to the ground, yet many of them are currently exhibiting slips, as global warming makes it easier for water to accumulate between the rock layer and the ice, and makes it easier for the glacier to move towards the sea.