Flipped Iceberg In Antarctica: Photographer Captures Stunning Images
A photographer recently captured stunning photos of a flipped iceberg in Antarctica, and his photos are going viral since this is such a rare occurrence.
In general, about 90 percent of an iceberg’s surface is under water, according to Science Focus, making the likelihood of one of them flipping over extremely rare. In this case, Alex Cornell — the man credited with taking the incredible photos during a trip to the frozen continent — was lucky enough to capture the majestic piece of ice.
A flipping iceberg can be dangerous for the shipping industry, whether it is fishermen who make a living capturing sea animals or tourists ships such as the one in which Cornell was traveling in. However, the chances of a massive iceberg turning over or even wobbling is almost null.
We are talking about massive ice chunks weighing in the tons. But in some instances, when an iceberg actually flips over, they can even create a tsunami.
Cornell was on an expedition to Antarctica last month, when he spotted the stunning flipped iceberg, which looks more like something from another planet. The colors are simply brilliant, and not anything too many people have been able to see with their own eyes.
The risk of an iceberg flipping is greatest just when a separation from a glacier happens, because as the iceberg breaks apart and falls into the ocean, it’s irregular form struggles to balance itself and float. A study, published in 2011 by Professor Justin Burton and researchers from the University of Chicago, says the resulting motion can release as much energy as an atomic bomb.
There is a reason why we use the line “the tip of the iceberg.” Who can not think of the Titanic when talking about icebergs, as the most famous ship of all time met its tragic end at the hands of a seemingly small piece of ice floating on the Atlantic Ocean.
The tip of that iceberg was probably a lot smaller compared to what lay under the surface and ultimately sank the doomed liner. As for Alex Cornell, he was able to capture some astonishing photos of a very rare flipped iceberg. Take a look at all the photos from his trip and be prepared to be amazed.
Photographer captures rare shot of flipped iceberg's underbelly. http://t.co/XTf8gKg8rs pic.twitter.com/BeZI2JN47F
— smh.com.au (@smh) January 16, 2015
You can not only see the flipped iceberg, but other photos taken by Alex Cornell at his website here.
[Image via Shutterstock]
