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Restless Glacier

Helheim Glacier, one of Greenland’s largest, empties into the ocean on the southeast coast of the island. The glacier has been retreating over the past decade, and WHOI physical oceanographer Fiamma Straneo believes submarine currents may be behind much of the melting. This summer, Straneo and her colleagues returned to survey the water in the fjord by ship and helicopter and to install weather stations and a time-lapse camera on the hills above. Straneo has also made one of the only winter trips to study water in the fjord to get a more complete picture of the interaction between the glacier and surrounding water. (Photo by Will Ostrom, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)