On May 22, 2002, Svalbard, Norway, tucked inside the Arctic Circle, was showing no signs of spring on land, while in the Barents Sea, ice had begun retreating from the western coastline. This series of images shows the thawing of the sea ice around Svalbard, and also shows snow retreating from the landscape. Patches of brown are showing through, especially along fjords and inlets. Some images show blooms of marine plants called phytoplankton, which create colorful blue and green patterns on the ocean surface.