The Beauty of IcebergsStriped Icebergs & “Frozen Waves”

Assembled by

Ken Mitchell

Livermore TOPScience

The Cause

Icebergs in the Antarctic area sometimes have stripes, formed by layers of snow that react to different conditions.  Blue stripes are often created when a crevice in the ice sheet fills up with meltwater and freezes so quickly that no bubbles form.  When an iceberg falls into the sea, a layer of salty seawater can freeze to the underside. If this is rich in algae, it can form a green stripe.  Brown, black and yellow lines are caused by sediment, picked up when the ice sheet grinds downhill towards the sea.

Antarctica “Frozen Wave” Pixs

Isn’t Nature amazing! It looks like the water froze into waves the instant it broke through the ice.

Actually, these “wave” shapes are formed over time from ice that has been compacted and uplifted by glaciation and further shaped through exposure to the elements.

The white ice has been compacted under the weight of the glacier trapping tiny air bubbles in the ice.

The beautiful smoothly polished surfaces are a result of ice melting and refreezing.

Blue, bubble free ice is made when the ice is still part of the glacier. Melt water fills crevasses formed in the glacier as it creeps over land and quickly freezes without any air bubbles forming.