Abstract: Have you ever noticed that darkened shadow that runs along the base of an iceberg or glacier hovering just above the water’s surface? In a painting such as Aka Høegh’s Icebergs – from the Ice Fjord (2014-15) this might be misconstrued as simply an aesthetic decision. Dark shadows and in some instances deep-blue lines separate the icy forms from the waters that carry them. Colour becomes a useful tool through which to separate spaces, draw distinctions between surfaces (ice and water), or focus attention on certain features.  However, this seemingly innocuous detail is not necessarily a figment of human imagination or the aestheticization of the environment, but rather might indicate a process termed waterline notching.