Icebergs

The Ross Sea, is the southern-most body of water on the planet, located approximately 2,000 miles south of New Zealand and just 200 miles from the South Pole.  The Ross Sea is also home to the Ross Ice Shelf, the largest ice shelf in Antarctica, approximately 500 by 370 miles; roughly the size of France and with ice towering between 50 and 250 feet above the water surface.  We spent a week traveling through the Ross Sea and then several more days doubling back to avoid getting locked in from the vast amounts of floating ice.

Did you know that there are over 30 different terms to describe the shapes of icebergs – table, tilted table, tower, etc. comprised of five different kinds of ice, mostly characterized by different colors? We were fortunate to see all of them.
– White Icebergs: The most common type, appearing white because their snow-covered, airy surface reflects all wavelengths of visible light.
– Blue Icebergs: These are formed from deep, compressed glacier ice where, over centuries, pressure has squeezed out air bubbles.
– Green Icebergs: Usually found around Antarctica, these often form when seawater containing yellow-tinted dissolved organic carbon freezes to the underside of an ice shelf.
– Black/Dark Icebergs: These can appear due to sediment, rock, and debris trapped within the ice, which is accumulated as the glacier moves over land.
– Striped Icebergs: These are formed by layers of ice that froze at different times, often with varying concentrations of air bubbles or debris.