How Icebergs Work [View all]
Icebergs -- giant floating chunks of ice. What else do we need to know? As it turns out, plenty. There's a lot that's deceptive about icebergs. It's true that most of an iceberg's bulk lies unseen beneath the surface of the ocean, but these seemingly sterile ice slabs also harbor their own complex ecosystems, and they shape the ecosystems that they pass through.
Icebergs can seem rather ominous -- they dot high-latitude oceans like mines, and after all, one of them sank the unsinkable Titanic. They also seem to hold a lot of promise -- could we really tow one to Los Angeles and melt it for drinking water? Could you live on one?
Scientists are still learning about icebergs. They're difficult to study. In fact, it can be hard just getting to one. While we know where icebergs come from and have a general idea how they behave, every expedition to an iceberg uncovers something new. From floating chunks no bigger than your car to massive islands of ice the size of Connecticut, icebergs come in many shapes and forms.
More: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/iceberg.htm
Iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, near Iceberg Alley
Grant Faint/Getty Images
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