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When we discovered Tom Hegen's photo series on the tragic beauty of Greenlands melting ice sheet, we were immediately fascinated with the astonishing surface structures he managed to capture by flying with a small plane 1000 meters above sea level. These natural patterns are of intimidating beauty! But, when thinking about the reason for their creation, one finds oneself torn between the fascination for their beauty and the tragedy they exemplify.
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"Global sea level rise will be one of the major environmental challenges of the 21st Century. One of the leading causes of sea level rise is the melting of ice from glaciers and ice sheets. The Greenland ice sheet alone contains enough water to raise global sea levels by more than 7 meters. The Arctic is the fastest warming place of this planet, providing the first indication of how climate change is having an impact. It’s melting surface is one of the starkest examples of global climate change. Below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels is the agreed goal signed by 197 countries at the Paris climate agreement in 2015 to limit global warming to avoid disastrous consequences of climate change. The two°degrees Series explores the effects of global warming on the Arctic Ice Sheet." - Tom Hegen
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Hegen’s aerial photography explores the relationships between humans and the natural world. Other photo series for example address salt ponds, tulip fields, coal mines or commercial forrest.
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Copyright for all images: Tom Hegen