In June 2019, Steffen Olsen, a scientist, took a surprising photo in Greenland. The photo showed dogs that looked like they were walking on water! Many people talked about this photo online.
But the dogs were not really walking on water. They were walking on ice with water on top. The ice was melting very fast because the weather was warm. Steffen Olsen and other scientists were there to study the ice.
“I was surprised that people thought the photo was beautiful,” said Olsen. “For me, it was scary because the ice was melting quickly.”
The scientists traveled on ice, but soon the ice melted under their feet. They had to find dry places quickly to keep the dogs and their equipment safe.
Usually, dogs don’t like wet feet, said Olsen. But that day, it was warm (14°C), and the dogs did not mind.
The ice melting in Greenland started earlier than normal in 2019. It melted six weeks sooner than usual. Scientists say melting ice is happening faster every year.
Melting ice causes problems for people and animals. Local people cannot hunt or fish safely. Scientists have trouble working because the ice is dangerous.
The photo helped people understand that ice melting is a big problem. Scientists say we must talk about this problem more. We need to take care of our planet now.
Source: bbc.com
Vocabulary for the Article
Scientist – A person who studies things carefully.
Surprising – Not expected, makes you feel shocked.
Photo – A picture taken with a camera.
Greenland – A large, cold island near the North Pole.
Ice – Frozen water.
Melting – Changing from ice into water.
Weather – How hot, cold, wet, or dry it is outside.
Beautiful – Very nice to look at.
Scary – Makes you feel afraid.
Quickly – Very fast.
Travel – To go from one place to another.
Equipment – Things used for work or a special activity.
Safe – Not dangerous.
Wet – Covered with water.
Mind – To feel upset or uncomfortable about something.
Normal – Usual, regular, not strange.
Problems – Things that make life hard.
Local – Belonging to a nearby place.
Dangerous – Can hurt or harm you.
Planet – Earth, our world.