Global Warning…

[This was first published on 5th October 2009]

Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe, about midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The glacier in the picture below is called the Austfonna ice cap. The striking photo was taken by Michael Nolan during his annual voyage to observe the glacier and its surrounding wildlife. This ice cap has been retreating by as much as 48 metres for the past few decades. It is far from being the most significant evidence of climate change but it does leave quite a striking image.

The image of a woman’s face crying into the ocean is quite remarkable. It is entirely natural of course and no doubt in several month’s time it will have changed. The phenomenon of seeing familiar patterns (usually faces) in naturally occurring objects is called pareidolia and is probably a side effect of our evolution as pattern-seeking mammals. We see familiar shapes in the random arrangements of clouds, trees and rocks. Other examples of this effect include the ‘face on mars’…