Top 10. The largest icebergs in the world

Giant pieces of ice that break off from glaciers and float freely in the seas and oceans have always attracted the attention of people, and especially scientists. Icebergs are truly unique and amazing objects of nature.

The first people to discover the great ice of Antarctica are Lazarev and Bellingshausen, Russian travelers and explorers.

Icebergs are divided into 3 categories:

• table-like,
• domed,
• pyramidal.

In this article we will look at the largest icebergs in the world.

10 Iceberg by Joseph Fletcher | 90 km²

Iceberg by Joseph Fletcher (Iceberg T-3) is one of the most famous icebergs, which was discovered by polar explorer Joseph Fletcher in the late 40s of the last century. Its area was 90 km²and thickness up to 50 meters. In 1952-1978, research stations were located on the glacier many times.

According to unconfirmed reports, in the early 80s of the last century, it was carried away by the current to the North Atlantic, after which it melted.

9. Iceberg in Northern Hemisphere | 260 km²

The largest iceberg of the northern hemisphere over the past 50 years there has been a glacier recorded near the island of Greenland in 2010. Its total area was about 260 km². For comparison: it was the size of 1/3 of the area of ​​Kyiv.

Under the influence of the warm current of the Atlantic Ocean, the glacier melted. If it moved to the southern part of Greenland, it would block the way for ships in the North Atlantic.

8. Briksdal Glacier | 1 km²

Briksdal Glacier, related to the Jostedal glacier, located near Olden, in Norway. Its area is about 1,5 thousand km².

Jostedal has about 50 branches, one of which is the Briksdal glacier. Briksdal is one of Norway’s top tourist attractions.

The administration has organized many routes for tourists to choose from, the most popular of which are 4:

1. Walking distance of about 3000 m, which will take about 3 hours to complete.
2. The Glacier Hike route, which involves visiting three glaciers: Briksdal, Melkevol and Brendal.
3. Glacier safari, the path along which starts from Lake Briksdalsvatnet and ends at the opposite end of the glacier. Rafting on the lake takes about half an hour.
4. Guided private hike. You can climb a giant block on your own, but only with a qualified guide. Before the start of the hike, special equipment is issued, thanks to which you can see all the beauties of the glacier.

7. Iceberg C19A | 5 km²

C19A – the first glacier to receive its own name – “Melting Bob”. It broke away from the B15 glacier and began drifting in 2002, located near Antarctica, in the western part of the Ross Sea. The area of ​​the giant glacier is 5,5 thousand km². Due to its inaccessible location (it is surrounded by small glaciers), it cannot be approached for a more detailed study. However, despite this, scientists managed to install equipment on C19A that allows you to monitor its movements and temperature changes inside it.

The western part of the Ross Sea is a truly unique place. Giant boulders can stay in this place for a long time and not melt. Over the past 5 years, about 17 ice blocks have broken off from Antarctica.

6. Iceberg A-38 | 6900 km²

A-38 – the largest iceberg in the last decade, separated from the Filchner-Ronne glacier in Antarctica in 1998. It had the following dimensions: length – more than 144 km, width – 48 km, total area – 6900 km².

In October 1998, the A-38 began to gradually break down, forming the A-38B. In April 2004, it had a length of about 46 km. On April 15, 2004, the MODIS satellite recorded that it had split into two pieces.

5. Iceberg B15 | 11 km²

B15 – the largest iceberg in the history of the world. The glacier was recorded in March 2000. The total area of ​​the block was 11 thousand km², and the mass is 3 trillion tons.

From 2000 to 2003, it began to split into small parts, the largest of which was the B15A glacier, which has an area of ​​​​6,4 thousand km². In November 2003 B15A withdrew to the Ross Sea.

In 2005, there was a clash between both B15 and the Drygalski language. As a result of this collision, the map of Antarctica changed.

B15A in 2004-2005 became a source of fresh water for three research stations at once. Unfortunately, because of it, the number of penguins, Weddell seals and skuas has decreased.

The gradually splitting glacier melted completely about 10 years ago.

4. Iceberg “Titanic” | Area unknown

The iceberg that caused the wreck of the legendary ship “Titanic”, broke away from a glacier in Melville Bay, Greenland, on June 24, 1910, at 12:45. The glacial mountain had a weight of 420 thousand tons and a height of 105 meters.

After the collision with the Titanic, which occurred on April 14, 1912, the iceberg was picked up by the current, and after 6 months it reached Franz Josef Land.

It was here, after wintering until the summer of 1913, that the massive glacier dissolved into the water.

3. Iceberg «Santa Maria» | 31 km²

«Santa Maria» – the largest iceberg discovered in the Atlantic Ocean in 1956. Its length was 97 km, and its width and height were 56 and 45 km, respectively.

“Santa Maria” was explored by specialists from the USS Glacier. Unfortunately, a detailed study did not work out: after sailing around the Arctic, the iceberg broke and melted.

2. Larsen C | 44200 km²

Larsen S – a glacier that broke away from the Larsen Ice Shelf, consisting of 3 blocks (Larsen A, B and C) and located off the Antarctic Peninsula. Initially, the total area of ​​the Larsen Ice Shelf was equal to that of Slovakia. The area of ​​the Larsen Glacier C was 44200 km².

From July 10 to July 12, 2017, a block broke off from Larsen C, reducing its area by 12% (about 5304 km²). The breakaway block has a thickness of up to 200 m, an area of ​​about 6000 km² and a mass of about 1 trillion tons.

According to scientists, the detached block will help accelerate the movement of coastal ice.

1. The highest iceberg | Area unknown

The tallest iceberg in the world was recorded and studied at the beginning of the 450th century. He was off the Falkland Islands. The dimensions of the ice block amazed scientists: its height was XNUMX m. The top of the glacier was at the height of the tallest building in New York.

Unfortunately, due to insufficiently perfect technology, it has not been fully explored. When, where and how the glacier melted is unknown. He did not even have time to give his own name and code. The iceberg, recorded in 1904, went down in history as the highest in the world.

Giant iceberg sailed to the shores of Newfoundland (video)

Icebergs are not only beneficial, but also dangerous for people, animals and birds. They block the path of animals and contribute to their death. In addition, every year they cause the wreck of many ships. However, they contain more than 90% of the fresh water on the planet.

Recently, the number of broken icebergs has been increasing. According to scientists, this indicates a warming climate. However, this is not for long – over time, the melted icebergs will lead to a decrease in temperature.