Executive summary by darmansjah
Fjords as deep as the
mountains are high
NORWAY Gouged
from Norway’s west coast by glacial claws, the country’s fjords are a
spectacular by-product of long-gone ice ages. Over millions of years, heavy
glaciers scraped U-shaped valleys deep into Norway’s coastline. As the ice
melted, the sea entered to take its place, filling steep valleys with salt water. Fjords can be
remarkably long and deep: The Sognefjord,
127 miles (204 km) long, plunges 4,291 feet (1,308 m) below sea level. Steep
rock walls typically frame the fjords, from which water falls arch into the
water. At Geirangerfjord, no fewer
then seven cascades-the Seven Sisters-plummet down one side of the valley,
facing a single waterfall, the Suitor, on the opposite cliff.
HIGH AND LOWS
once occupied by intrepid reindeer herders, Norway’s Geirangerfjord is now a
UNESCO World Heritage site. Peaks around its sheer sides top out at 6,562 feet
(2,000 m) above sea level, while the fjord’s waters plunge 2,297 feet ( 700 m).
A HOME in the NORTH
Walruses, once endangered by hunting, are making a slow comeback along the
fjord-indented coasts of Norway’s islands. As lonely as they may appear, fjords
such as this one on a Svalbard island host a rich array of fish and other life
under their mild, salty waters.
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