I got this Official Postcrossing card from Germany! This one shows a glacial lake in southeastern Iceland known as Jökulsárlón. Jökulsárlón looks like an intimidating word for those unfamiliar with Icelandic, but it’s actually pronounced almost phonetically, with the exception that the “J” is pronounced like a “Y”. This glacial lake, or glacier lagoon, is part of Vatnajökull National Park, and it’s considered to be one of Iceland’s greatest wonders. Jökulsárlón was formed by meltwater from the neighboring Vatnajökull glacier less than a century ago (1935), due to gradual climate change. With the meltwater comes bits and pieces of the glacier that form icebergs. These icebergs are known for their coloration – you’ll see some that are white and grey, and plenty that are a vibrant blue, so blue that it makes me crave a blueberry popsicle! So what causes this blue ice? Blue ice is a product of the snow that forms glaciers getting compressed over years and years and years. That compression is a result of the weight of the snow as it piles on. So as this snow is getting compressed, it pushes out air bubbles, making it a big, dense slab of water. Why is this important? Well, it’s the same reason as why the ocean appears blue: large amounts of water absorb colors other than blue. When a water formation has air pockets inside of it, it doesn’t achieve that effect – it just becomes a bunch of mirrors bouncing light around. That’s why even if you see a ton of snow, it’s always gonna look white. Hope this makes sense? Let’s conclude with a fun fact after that brain-intensive science lesson – you can find seals swimming around the icebergs or lounging on them. And seals are cute. Thank you lots for sending me this sweet postcard, Sabine!
