What's this?
This micrographic image of desalinated Arctic sea ice was taken in the 1980s near the Mould Bay weather station on Prince Patrick Island in the Canadian Arctic. The image displays the micro-structural elements of sea ice, which becomes stronger as it ages as a result of the desalination process. The scattered white dots represent air pockets in the ice. The wide array of natural colours is visible because ice crystals are “birefringent” or double refractive — meaning they split light into two unequally transmitted waves. As a result, we can clearly see the crystal shapes and sizes. 
