Icebergs are large pieces of freshwater ice that have broken off from glaciers or ice shelves and float in open water, predominantly found in the polar regions of the Earth. They vary greatly in size, from small bergs that are just a few meters across to massive ones that can extend for several kilometers. The phrase “tip of the iceberg” famously describes the fact that only about 10% of an iceberg’s mass is visible above the water’s surface, with the bulk remaining submerged. This phenomenon is due to the density of ice compared to seawater. Icebergs pose significant hazards to maritime navigation, as famously exemplified by the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. They are also closely monitored by researchers because their frequency, size, and melt rates serve as important indicators of climate change, particularly in relation to the warming of the atmosphere and the oceans. Additionally, as they drift and melt, icebergs distribute fresh water and nutrients across large areas, impacting marine habitats and oceanic currents.
Iceberg A-83, approximately the size of Portland, Oregon, detached from Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf in late May 2024, an event recorded by Landsat 9. A…
Stuck on the seafloor for decades, Iceberg A-23A now freely drifts northward toward warmer, iceberg-destroying waters. For decades, Iceberg A-23A sat quietly, out of sight,…
A scientist spotted a jade hue in the sea ice fastened to the coast of East Antarctica. Jan Lieser has analyzed countless satellite images of…
In a groundbreaking development, researchers from the University of Leeds have unveiled a neural network that can swiftly and accurately chart the expanse of large…
After passing the Antarctic Peninsula, Iceberg D-30A grazed the much smaller Clarence Island, spun around, and drifted north. In June 2021, the U.S. National Ice…
Following the calving of the A-81 iceberg at the end of January 2023, the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica is moving faster than before. It…
Massive iceberg discharges during the last ice age had no impact on nearby Greenland, raising new questions about climate dynamics. Heinrich Events, massive iceberg discharges…
After breaking from the Brunt Ice Shelf, Iceberg A-81 and other pieces of ice drift south with the Weddell Gyre. On January 22, 2023, the…
Satellite imagery confirms a gigantic iceberg, around five times the size of Malta, has finally calved from Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf. The new berg, estimated…
An enormous iceberg measuring 600 miles² (1550 km²), almost the size of Greater London, has broken off the 500-foot (150-meter) thick Brunt Ice Shelf. It…
A long-watched rift has spawned an iceberg about twice the size of New York City. In February 2019, a rift spanning most of the Brunt…
In celebration of Halloween, the European Space Agency (ESA) brings you this recent Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite image of the Halloween Crack in Antarctica. First spotted…
Researchers recently chronicled the death throes of A-68A, one of the world’s largest-known icebergs. As soon as an iceberg is born it starts to die….
After nearly pummeling the vulnerable Brunt Ice Shelf, a flock of Antarctic icebergs settles in for the austral winter. In summer 2019, a rift that…
In July 2017, a giant iceberg, named A-68, snapped off Antarctica’s Larsen-C ice shelf and began an epic journey across the Southern Ocean. Three and…
Scientists monitoring the giant A68A Antarctic iceberg from space reveal that a huge amount of fresh water was released as it melted around the sub-Antarctic…
An enormous iceberg has calved from the western side of the Ronne Ice Shelf, lying in the Weddell Sea, in Antarctica. The iceberg, dubbed A-76,…
In July 2017, the Larsen C ice shelf along the eastern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula spawned A-68A—one of the planet’s largest icebergs on record….