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Shocking photo shows sled dogs running through sea ice melt

An image tweeted by a Danish researcher this week reveals a startling example of the current effects of climate change.

The photo was taken by Steffen M. Olsen with the Centre of Ocean and Ice at the Danish Meteorological Institute, and posted by a colleague. It shows sled dogs wading through blue water of what would normally be a stretch of flat, white sea ice.

This image taken June 13, 2019 in north west Greenland shows a team of sled dogs appearing to run on water. In a tweet, Toboe said rapid melt and sea ice with low permeability and few cracks results in melted water on top. (Rasmus Tonboe/Twitter)
This image taken June 13, 2019 in north west Greenland shows a team of sled dogs appearing to run on water. In a tweet, Toboe said rapid melt and sea ice with low permeability and few cracks results in melted water on top. (Rasmus Tonboe/Twitter)

Olsen was tasked last week with recovering research equipment from sea ice in North West Greenland. But the fjord where the equipment was located appeared to look more like a river, with water levels reaching just past the sled dogs’ paws.

The station in the Inglefield Gulf usually sits on top of sea ice but melt season has started early this year. The country’s melt season usually begins in June and runs until August.

In May, scientists announced the start of the melt season in Greenland, which is the second earliest on record stretching back to 1980.

In the tweet that originally posted the photo, Olsen’s colleague Rasmus Tonboe explained that “rapid melt and sea ice with low permeability and few cracks leaves the melt water on top.” Olsen said online that while the photo was evidence of an “unusual day” the snap was “more symbolic than scientific to many.” He added in a tweet that the team had managed to recover the remaining instruments from the research station, and will now focus on data recovery.

The stunning photo quickly drew a lot of reaction.

The shocking image is timely and relevant to Canada, which is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world. (Circumpolar countries like Russia, Sweden and Finland are also seeing warming at a similar rate.)

On Monday, a national climate change emergency was declared in Canada, along with a commitment to meet the Paris Agreement emissions targets. The motion, which was put forward by Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna, passed in the House of Commons by 186-63 votes.

It describes climate change as a "real and urgent crisis, driven by human activity" and urges that steps be taken in clean growth methods in order to reduce greenhouse gas emission.