Greenland's Ice Sheet Melting — Go Before it's Too Late!

We're all screwed if Greenland's ice sheet fully melts away, but while we fight to reverse global warming, it's worth heading north now to see this 100,000+ year-old ice cap in all its splendor and glory.

Greenland, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark (they have a kingdom?), is nearly 85 percent covered by this ice cap. This results in gorgeous icebergs and other frozen sights that should be seen in their current breathtaking state. You can actually walk on the 100-mile Kangerlussuaq fjord left over from the last ice age or go kayaking (an invention from the local Inuit culture) past majestic mountains and bergs that jet straight up from the chilly waters. Nature lovers can also marvel at the Arctic wildlife — reindeer, whales, wolves, walruses, white-tailed eagles and, yes Lost fans, even polar bears — accessible in its National Park.

The country, which is geographically part of North America, also features a number of hot springs, though the only spring hot enough for bathers is located on the uninhabited island of Uuartoq. The island, located in South Greenland, is accessible to tourists. Other hot springs can be found throughout the country, including the thousands of springs staying alive on Disko Island.

The best time to visit Greenland, however, may be the colder months between September and April when the Northern Lights can be seen throughout the country. Obscured during the warmer months by the never-setting Midnight Sun, the dancing green lights — also known as the Aurora Borealis — is like a cosmic fireworks show in the sky. It doesn't get much better than that.

Photos (from top to bottom) by Michael Morrissey, Claudia Erben and Leggymike courtesy of Flickr. Scoresby Sund photo by J. Finkelstein courtesy of Wikipedia.