ICEBERGS AND WATER’S RISKS

Presentation:I) Icebergs

a) Descriptionb) Locationc) Dangers and advantages

II) Other dangers a) Whirl poolb) Storms

III) Titanic: what happened ?

I) ICEBERGSa) Description

The word “iceberg” comes from the Norwegian language and means “ice mountain”. Their temperature is about 5 to -4 degrees Fahrenheit. Icebergs are very large pieces of ice which have broken off from a bigger ice mass. They are made from fresh water and they are very dense. The principal characteristic of an iceberg is that the biggest part of it is under the water.

b) LocationMost icebergs are located around Antarctica and

Greenland. We can see them along Iceberg Alley, an area from the Northern tip of Labrador down to the Eastern coasts of Newfoundland.

c) Dangers and advantages

Icebergs may appear sterile and lifeless, but it isn’t true. They are playing an important role in primary production and in the marine ecosystems. Small fish avoid predators by hiding in ice holes, while invertebrates come to feed on nearby krill. Seabirds may nest on icebergs as well.

Very large icebergs, can have a negative impact in the marine ecosystems. Large icebergs can reduce the amount of sunlight hitting the water, as a result decreasing the production of the phytoplankton which forms the base of the marine food. They also block the way that penguins use to reach open water to find food. We are going to see the other danger with the Titanic.

II) Other dangers

a) Whirl poolA whirlpool is a swirling body of water usually

produced by ocean tides.

Very small whirlpools can easily be seen when a bath or a sink is draining, but these are produced in a very different manner from those in nature. Smaller whirlpools also appear at the base of many waterfalls. In the case of powerful waterfalls, like Niagara Falls, these whirlpools can be quite strong.

b) Storm

A storm is a type of meteorological violent condition. It’s characterized by fast winds, and intense rain. With it, there can be lightning, thunder and hail.

III) Titanic

Icebergs can be extremely dangerous to ships. One of the greatest sea disasters in history was the sinking of the Titanic during the night of April 14 and 15, 1912. The Titanic was the largest ship afloat then, and was on its first trip from England to New York. The ship struck an iceberg, and about 1,500 people died.

Description

In 1907, J. Bruce Ismay (President of the White Star Line) and Lord Pirrie dreamed up the idea to build luxurious ocean liners as a way for the White Star Line to compete in the transatlantic passenger market. A total of three ships were planned: The Olympic, Titanic and Gigantic.

The Titanic was :

The Largest ship in the world (in 1912), he biggest movable man-made object ever made (at that time). One of the first ships to have a swimming pool. It was publicized as the world's largest, safest, most luxurious five-star floating hotel.

The Titanic was about 20 knots when it ran in an iceberg, its hull was broken on 90 meters long. In a very short time, 5 compartments were under water.

Despite some evidence that 3rd class passengers may not have had the same access to the lifeboats as 1st and 2nd class, the official investigations determined that no distinction between passenger classes was made during the loading of lifeboats. Women and children, without discrimination of class, were given preference.