The spectre of climate change haunts the Earth's polar regions more than anywhere else. Melting glaciers are one of the most prominent features of global warming. In this picture of Vitus Lake, formed by the meltwaters of the Bering Glacier in Alaska, the effects of climate change are clearly visible in these remnants of the shrinking glacier. The Bering glacier shrank by 10-12 km (6.26-7.5 miles) in length during the 20th century, losing around 130 sq km (81 sq miles) in area. Meteorologists report that temperatures in the Arctic region are rising twice as fast as elsewhere on the planet.