Cool! This New Photo Book Captures the Wonders of the Arctic

Vast and vulnerable, frozen yet full of life, the northernmost region of earth is far from the icy nothingness the word "Arctic" may evoke. 

As shown in the 190 photos gathered in a new release from London-based Amber Books Ltd, the Arctic Circle girdles a dynamic landscape inhabited by unique wildlife and never-say-die humans who are treated to an astonishing range of showstopping natural phenomena, from calving icebergs to the northern lights. 

Spanning remote stretches of Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Norway, and other frosty climes, Arctic: Life Inside the Arctic Circle, with text by travel writer Claudia Martin, shows why this ruggedly beautiful region attracts adventure seekers and armchair dreamers alike. What's more, the book supplies urgent visual evidence for the need to address climate change before it's too late. 

Here are some of the most arresting images from the volume, along with captions provided by the publisher. 

Pictured above: caribou in Nunavut, Canada

From Arctic: "Every year, large icebergs calve from the glaciers of the Canadian Arctic and Greenland, then float southward into the Atlantic Ocean, finally melting off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. Along the coast of Newfoundland, icebergs are best viewed in late May and early June; off Labrador, they can be seen between March and July. As climate change accelerates, larger icebergs pass the region in greater numbers." 

From Arctic: "Home to only around 3% of Finland’s people but the country’s largest region, Lapland is the least densely populated area in mainland Europe. The municipality with fewest people here is Savukoski, in northeastern Lapland, which has only 0.16 inhabitants per square kilometer (0.41 per square mile). According to Finnish folklore, a number of those inhabitants are Santa Claus and his elves."

From Arctic: "This thickly furred hare, with short limbs and ears for warmth, is found on the coasts of Greenland, in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and in northeastern continental Canada. In the southern reaches of its range, the hare molts its white fur in summer, growing brown to gray hair. Further north, where summers are very short, it stays white throughout the year."

From Arctic: "The best months for viewing the northern lights on the Lofoten Islands are October, February, and early March. Although there is sufficient darkness for the lights to be seen by late afternoon, the most spectacular displays are usually between 8pm or 9pm and midnight. During the height of winter, the weather may be too stormy to get a clear view."

From Arctic: "The fishing hamlet of Hamnøy is on Moskenesøya, near the southern end of the Lofoten archipelago, which experiences a relatively mild climate for its latitude thanks to the Gulf Stream. The traditional red rorbu houses hang over the rocks or water, one end propped on poles, for easy access to boats."

From Arctic: "Believed to have been bred as sled dogs by the Chukchi people of northeastern Siberia, these hardy, thick-coated dogs can withstand temperatures as low as -60° C (-76° F). Huskies have a strong pack mentality and a high desire to pursue and catch prey but are not usually territorial. Most huskies howl or whine rather than bark." 

From Arctic: "Sun halos are caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere, which refract the sun’s light. This type of halo is known as a 22 halo, as no light is refracted at an angle smaller than 22, making the sky darker inside the ring. Halos formed by low-level ice crystals are more common in polar regions."

From Arctic: "Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently inhabited island of the Svalbard archipelago, which lies about 1,050km (650 miles) from the North Pole. The high land in the island’s interior is permanently covered by ice."

From Arctic: "The Arctic fox lives throughout the Arctic Circle’s tundra regions. To conserve body heat, it has short legs, muzzle, and ears, as well as a rounded, compact body. This fox’s coat is dense and multilayered, while its foot pads are also covered in fur. The Arctic fox’s diet is based on voles, lemmings, hares, birds and their eggs, as well as carrion."

From Arctic: "This large glacial lake in Vatnajökull National Park was formed by the melt from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier in 1934–35. The lake has quadrupled in size since the 1970s as the glacier has retreated from the coast. It is now the deepest lake in Iceland, reaching 284m (932 ft.). Glaciologists think it probable that a deep fjord will eventually be formed here."

All images taken from the book Arctic by Claudia Martin, published by Amber Books Ltd and available from bookshops and online booksellers for £19.99/$29.99/CAN$44.50.