9.38 Iceberg Facts

Icebergs are floating chunks of ice that are mainly found in the North Atlantic Ocean and the seas around Antarctica. Icebergs can be dangerous to ships and come in many sizes.

Icebergs – What Are They?

You probably know that an iceberg was the thing that sank the ‘unsinkable’ ship the Titanic. An iceberg tore a hole in the side of ship and caused it to sink. But, did you know that icebergs had different names depending on their size? And did you know that there was an International Ice Patrol? It sounds almost like a band of super heroes, but this group of heroes protects ships from sinking like the Titanic.

An iceberg is piece of floating ice in an ocean or lake. They are formed when ice breaks off or calves from a glacier or larger piece of ice. Icebergs are like people and they come in all shapes and sizes. The largest iceberg ever known stood 550 feet out of the water, which is about the height of the Washington Monument! This huge iceberg was seen by the Coast Guard in Melville Bay, Greenland.

1. Main points:

Icebergs, floating ice pieces in oceans or lakes, form when ice breaks off from glaciers. They vary in size, with the largest recorded iceberg being 550 feet tall. The International Ice Patrol was established to protect ships from iceberg-related accidents, like the sinking of the Titanic.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What is an iceberg and how is it formed?
• Thematic Analysis: Why are icebergs significant in maritime safety?
• Socio-cultural Analysis: What role does the International Ice Patrol play in relation to icebergs?

3. Further Discussion:

• If you were part of the International Ice Patrol, what would you find most interesting about tracking icebergs?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: "An iceberg is a piece of floating ice in an ocean or lake. They are formed when ice breaks off or calves from a glacier or larger piece of ice."
• Thematic Analysis: "An iceberg was the thing that sank the ‘unsinkable’ ship the Titanic."
• Socio-cultural Analysis: "The International Ice Patrol… protects ships from sinking like the Titanic."

Different Names

In order to be an actual iceberg, the piece of floating ice has to be 16 feet across or larger – that’s about half the length of a school bus. Smaller chunks of ice have the adorable names of ‘bergy bits’ and ‘growlers’. Bergy bits are usually less than 15 feet in size and growlers are usually less than six feet. Despite their cute names, these icebergs can be more dangerous than the big ones, because they are harder for ships to see.

No Two Icebergs Are the Same
||

The International Ice Patrol

After the Titanic sank in 1912 close to Newfoundland, people realized that icebergs were very dangerous to ships. A group of countries got together and formed The International Ice Patrol. Using radar and airplanes this group finds icebergs and lets ships know where they are so that they can avoid them.

More Than Meets the Eye

Icebergs are tricky to navigate or steer around, because of their unusual shapes. Just like snowflakes, no two icebergs are the same. Not only that, most of the iceberg is hiding under the water. Scientists think that seven -eighths of the iceberg is under water. If you cut a pizza into eight slices and eat just one, you can get an idea of what seven-eighths looks like. You can see that almost all of the pizza is still in the box – almost the entire iceberg is hidden beneath the water’s surface!

Look Closely – You Can See How Much of the Iceberg is Under the Water!

1. Main points:

Icebergs must be at least 16 feet across to be classified as such, with smaller pieces called bergy bits and growlers. The International Ice Patrol was established to monitor icebergs, which are challenging to navigate due to their unique shapes and the fact that most of their mass is underwater.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What are the different sizes of icebergs and their names?
• Thematic Analysis: How does the International Ice Patrol help in iceberg navigation?
• Socio-cultural Analysis: Why is it important to understand the part of an iceberg that is underwater?

3. Further Discussion:

• How do you think icebergs are different from other natural formations in the ocean?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: "Smaller chunks of ice have the adorable names of ‘bergy bits’ and ‘growlers’. Bergy bits are usually less than 15 feet in size and growlers are usually less than six feet."
• Thematic Analysis: "Using radar and airplanes this group [International Ice Patrol] finds icebergs and lets ships know where they are so that they can avoid them."
• Socio-cultural Analysis: "Scientists think that seven-eighths of the iceberg is under water… Almost the entire iceberg is hidden beneath the water’s surface!"

Fresh Water

Because icebergs float in the ocean, many people think they are made of salt water. The truth is icebergs are made of fresh water because they were made from rain or rivers on the land. As icebergs melt into the salt water, ocean creatures often swarm around them to eat the nutrients that are released.

What Happens To Them?

As icebergs and float around the ocean, they begin to get smaller. Ice on top of the iceberg is exposed to the sun and some of it melts into water. The water drips into cracks in the ice and this causes pieces to break off. As the ocean beneath the iceberg warms up, the iceberg begins to melt from the bottom as well. Most icebergs eventually melt away to nothing.

1. Main points:

Icebergs, contrary to common belief, are made of fresh water from rain or rivers and release nutrients as they melt. They gradually diminish in size due to melting from sun exposure and warmer ocean temperatures, eventually disappearing entirely.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What are icebergs made of and how do they contribute to ocean life?
• Thematic Analysis: How do icebergs melt and what happens to them in the ocean?
• Socio-cultural Analysis: Why might people think icebergs are made of salt water, and how does this misconception affect our understanding of them?

3. Further Discussion:

• If you could study icebergs, what would you be most curious to find out?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: "Icebergs are made of fresh water because they were made from rain or rivers on the land. As icebergs melt into the salt water, ocean creatures often swarm around them to eat the nutrients that are released."
• Thematic Analysis: "Ice on top of the iceberg is exposed to the sun and some of it melts into water… As the ocean beneath the iceberg warms up, the iceberg begins to melt from the bottom as well."
• Socio-cultural Analysis: "Because icebergs float in the ocean, many people think they are made of salt water."

Lesson Summary

Icebergs are floating ice pieces that calve or break off from glaciers or larger pieces of ice. Icebergs are dangerous to ships that need to know they are there so they can navigate around them. The International Ice Patrol lets ships know where icebergs are so that they do not crash into the icebergs and sink.