Tree of life

For years I have sought to capture images from the air as I travel over remote parts of the world. The challenge is always the same. Movement, vibration, polari...
Read more

For years I have sought to capture images from the air as I travel over remote parts of the world. The challenge is always the same. Movement, vibration, polarised, distorted window which restricts compositional freedom, potentially harsh lighting and having to hand hold my camera. The approximate coordinates of this location are N56.84 W59.66. This is in the Arctic Ocean, the southern part of Baffin Bay and the Sea of Labrador. The underwater geography being near the Nain Bank and Labrador Shelf. The surface ice reveals the movement of the ocean currents.There are five swirls here with one of those five near the horizon and land (which is the coast of Newfoundland visible in the top left). The other four are within the "branches" of this metaphorical tree spreading out from the channel or "trunk" on the left. Both our oceans and our trees play a crucial inter related role in absorbing carbon dioxide and distributing and releasing oxygen. Oceans currents also distribute nutrients and an array of sea life will often be found where the currents are strong. Part of climate change research involves studying them to monitor their shifts.
Deforestation in the tropical rain forests and the resulting higher temperatures is a major cause of rising sea temperatures and has an effect on ocean currents. An example of this is South American deforestation leading to warmer oceans pushing up the coast of the USA which in turn affects ice melt in the Arctic. Ocean currents are also being affected by the slip of the earth's crust as the position of the magnetic north pole moves over time.
Additionally, higher temperatures in the tropics are absorbing more moisture from the tropical seas, creating more and denser clouds which are now escaping the tropics. Additional cloud cover in the area prevents heat loss (causing increased regional warming) which is generated by the sun on clear days.
So rainforest systems and ocean currents play a vital role in the earths climate and disturbances to either or both have adverse affects on each other and subsequently on all living things.
For a natural phenomenon, the symmetry, mirroring and parallels are remarkable also reminding me of swirling galaxies. The curved horizon making this image also feel like it could have been captured from low space orbit but is in fact from airliner cruising altitudes.
Read less