During the last ice age, Akimiski Island in Canada’s James Bay lay beneath vast glaciers that pressed down with immense force. As the climate changed and the ice retreated, Akimiski began a gradual rebound. The island’s slow but steady increase in elevation is recorded along its naturally terraced edges where the coastline seems etched with bathtub rings, the result of the rising landmass and wave action at previous sea levels.

Image taken September 6, 2007, by Landsat 5.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/USGS EROS Data Center

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