Photographer Christian Åslund was shocked by the stark contrast between what he saw in 2002 and the scene he faced this summer.
Standing under the blazing sun in the Arctic region, Swedish photographer Christian Åslund was astonished to realize that the Svalbard Glacier (Norway), which he last visited in 2002, has nearly vanished completely.
Swedish photographer stunned by the astonishing changes in the glacier in Svalbard. (Photo: Christian Åslund/Greenpeace).
Two decades ago, Greenpeace asked Åslund to refer to photographs of the Svalbard glaciers taken in the early 20th century and return to capture similar angles to document the melting ice due to climate change. The difference in ice density in the photographs taken a century apart has left viewers astonished.
This summer, Åslund returned to those locations after 22 years and discovered that the glaciers had significantly shrunk.
“In 2002, climate change was not as widely recognized as it is now, so we were truly shocked to witness this,” he said. “This time, I didn’t know what to expect upon returning. However, when we saw the glaciers, we truly realized the difference over the past 22 years. A massive amount of ice from the glaciers has disappeared.”
The rapid melting of the glacier has almost caused it to disappear. (Photo: Christian Åslund/Greenpeace).
“It’s sad,” Åslund said, “especially when you hold the historical photograph in your hands and see an entire bay that was once formed by glaciers and where the glaciers met, now it has almost vanished.”
The weather during his visit was also astonishingly warm. “When we arrived, it was the hottest month ever recorded in this area. You stand in the Arctic wearing just a t-shirt while the glaciers are nearly gone, it’s sad. The Arctic is warming at a very fast rate. I had predicted the shrinkage of the glaciers, but I did not expect the situation to be this dire. It was shocking,” Åslund shared with The Guardian.
This summer, the glaciers in Svalbard are melting at the fastest rate on record. According to research from the University of Liège, Svalbard has lost about 55 mm of water in one day — a rate five times greater than normal.
Massive glaciers now only have a few pieces of drifting ice left. (Photo: Christian Åslund/Greenpeace).
If this entire glacier melts completely, sea levels will rise by 1.7 cm. However, the alarming factor is that temperatures here have surged higher than almost anywhere else in the world; it is estimated that temperatures in Svalbard have increased by 4°C over the past 30 years.
Nevertheless, Åslund remains steadfast in his hope. “I don’t feel helpless because we have hope that we can turn this around. No one can do everything, but every individual can do small things to combat climate change. My contribution is to highlight what is really happening out there. It is more apparent than in most other places on Earth because the ice is melting rapidly. It will continue to melt until we take drastic actions to stop it,” he said.
Photographer “speechless” after 22 years returning to visit the glacier in Norway. (Photo: Christian Åslund/Greenpeace).
The comparison photographs were so shocking that when they were first published in 2002, many accused Åslund of fabricating them. They claimed he had edited the new images or that he visited in summer while the old photos were taken in winter. People did not want to believe they were real.
“This has been happening since 2002 when the first photographs were published. The photos were criticized for being edited or taken in different seasons, but a glacier doesn’t change much from winter to summer. It’s not like snow or ice that can melt and return,” he said.
In response to claims that these photos were taken at different times of the year, Åslund said: “If it were winter, Svalbard would be pitch dark, completely without light, so taking these photos would be impossible.”
Many believe the photographer has edited images to attract attention. (Photo: Christian Åslund/Greenpeace).
“I don’t know why people don’t want to believe that this is true. I just think that some people struggle to accept the science, listen to scientists, and they want to believe it is fake rather than real,” he added.
Åslund hopes that his images will help encourage people and governments to take action to address the climate crisis before all glaciers disappear. “I hope this series of photos will serve as a reminder of what is happening. And then, I will return, perhaps in another 20 years, to see the difference from now, hopefully it won’t be as bad,” he said.
