Page 21 - (DK) I Can’t Believe It! 2

STRANGE BUT TRUE! 19

In the summer sunshine the surface FAST FACTS
of Vatnajökull’s thick glacial ice melts, Seven colors make
and the resulting water flows into holes up the white light
and cracks on the surface. Underneath that we see.
the glacier, rivers of this meltwater cut
through the ancient glacier ice, leaving
behind magnificent glacial caves. Each Only the blue
year the caves appear in different light is reflected. Dense glacier
places—local guides scout their ice absorbs most
location and take tourists to of the colors.
those that are safe to visit.
Why is the ice blue? Thick, dense
glacier ice doesn’t contain air
bubbles, which would reflect lots
of light and make the ice appear
white. Rather, the ice absorbs
most of the colors that make up
white light and reflects only the
blue—which is what you see.

The ice
comprising the
Vatnajökull
glacier is
about 1,000
years old.

US_018_019_309600_Deep_freeze.indd 19 19/12/17 12:55 pm