Icebergs Essay, Research Paper

HUGE ANTARCTIC ICEBERGS RARELY ENDANGER SHIPS.ANTARCTIC ICEBERGS ARE SOME OF THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD! ICEBERGS ARE MASSES OF ICE THAT BECOME DETACHED FROM AN ICE SHEET OR GLACIER, AND FLOAT IN THE OCEAN. ONLY ONE NINTH OF AN ICEBERGS MASS IS VISIBLE ABOVE THE WATERS SURFACE. IN 1999 AN ICEBERG THE SIZE OF RHODE ISLAND MOVED INTO THE DRAKE PASS, (BETWEEN SOUTH AMERICA AND ANTARCTICA). THIS ICEBERG BROKE INTO PIECES AFTER MELTING IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. DUE TO THE NATIONAL ICE CENTER ALERTING SYSTEM, ALL SHIPS IN THE ICEBERGS PATH WERE NOTIFIED OF ITS LOCATION, SO THAT THEY COULD AVOID HITTING IT.

THIS ARTICLE ALSO DESCRIBES A RECORD SETTING ICEBERG THAT WAS SIGHTED IN THE ARCTIC. THIS ICEBERG WAS MORE THAN 12,000 SQUARE MILES IN SIZE! IT WAS SPOTTED NEAR A GLACIER 150-MILES SOUTH OF SCOTT ISLAND.MOST ANTARCTIC ICEBERGS BREAK AWAY FROM ANTARCTICA WITHOUT ANYBODY EVER KNOWING ABOUT IT. ANTARCTIC ICEBERGS ARE USUALLY FOUND CLOSE TO THE SHORE OR IN AN OCEANIC CURRENT TEMPERATURES. THAT CIRCLES AROUND ANTARCTICA. MOST SHIPS WILL NEVER COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE ICEBERG, BECAUSE OF ITS LOCATION. ICEBERGS MOVE VERY SLOWLY, AND EVENTUALLY BREAK APART AND MELT WHEN THEY REACH WARMER