Antarctica’s Spellbinding Stripy Icebergs

Antarctica’s Spellbinding Stripy Icebergs

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Antarctica is the coldest and most barren continent on the face of the Earth, with spine chilling temperatures as low as -130°F (-90°C) in the winter. There is next to no vegetation, no permanent population and not a hotel in sight yet people still flock to the area in their droves to get a glimpse of the abundant wildlife and marine life, and these floating beauties: icebergs.

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Only about one-tenth of an iceberg is visible above water making them dangerous to manoeuvre around, as the ill-fated Titanic discovered, and the largest ever recorded towered a whopping 551ft above sea level, roughly the height of a 55-storey building. They’re also capable of travelling an astounding 17 kms (11 miles) a day.

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The green stripes through these icebergs are caused by algae caught in the ice. Brown, yellow and black stripes are the result of sediments being picked up when the ice sheet works its way to the sea.

Source: Crooked Brains