I wanted to share a clip from a larger project in which I document the sound of melting glacier ice.
This section from the Fjortende Julibreen (14th of July) glacier on Svalbard was close enough to shore that I could wade out, climb up, and bury some contact mics in it.
Atmospheric sounds were also captured using a Zoom xy and shotgun mic (courtesy of Good Credit Productions).
According to Dr. Joanna Ewa Szafraniec, "Spitsbergen [Svalbard] glaciers are in rapid recession. This is observed in both land-based glaciers and those terminating at sea and is regarded as a manifestation of the Arctic amplification effect ..."
The ice crackling as it disappears reminds me that even if I were able to return to such a foreign place, it would be immensely changed. The actions of my everyday self will have contributed to that change.
Recording provided by Josh Evert.
This is part of the Obsolete Sounds project, the world’s biggest collection of disappearing sounds and sounds that have become
