Holy Flipping Icebergs, Batman!
Bowler Hat Science from Matthew R Francis
This week turned out to be too busy to write a real newsletter (again!). I’d apologize, but frankly things are not going well professionally and I need to focus on paid work. So, without further ado….
Melting Cylinders of Ice Reveal an Iceberg’s Tipping Point
New lab experiments on cylinders of pure ice shed light on how icebergs flip over as they melt, demonstrating the link between a warming ocean and small-scale events that can have rippling consequences.
For AGU Eos:
The titanic dangers icebergs pose to ships are well documented. Sometimes, however, icebergs themselves can capsize, creating earthquakes and tsunamis or even pushing entire glaciers backward. Most of those dramatic events occur right after the chunk of floating ice splits off from its source, but sometimes icebergs flip over in the open ocean.
Earlier lab experiments using simulated plastic icebergs showed that the energy released in capsize events can rival nuclear weapon blasts. But beyond an understanding that capsize events are likely related to melting induced by ocean warming, knowing why icebergs flip is a question that’s harder to answer. Large variations in iceberg size and shape, along with slow drifting across wide distances, make studying icebergs expensive and challenging.
One solution: make miniature icebergs in the lab and watch them melt under controlled conditions.
My Coworker Does Not Approve
Bowlerhattishly thine,
Matthew
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