Awe-Inspiring Antarctica, Up Close

Old icebergs eventually get weathered by the elements. This accounts for round shapes seen in the foreground floe pictured here. Conversely, younger floes maintain the jagged look, representing the fracture of newer breaks illustrated by the one peaking in the background. The smooth surface in the very background is a glacier. The sun peaking through the stormy skies accounts for this surreal environment. Stormy weather, Melchior Island, Antarctica, February 2006. (Sebastian Copeland)