Does the iceberg that sunk the Titanic still exist?
Akseli Salminen, 11
Titanic the sunken iceberg no longer exists. It has melted into the Atlantic Ocean a long time ago.
The iceberg in question was probably a huge chunk that had broken off from the Greenland glacier into the sea, which the sea currents carried south towards warmer waters and the Titanic’s route. In the North Atlantic, the icebergs melt in about four years.
Icebergs always originate from glaciers. Glaciers form over the years if it is so cold even in summer that the snowbanks don’t melt away. Gradually, the snow is so thick that the lowest layers condense into ice. In Greenland, the glacier flows very slowly towards the shore and eventually icebergs break off from it into the sea.
In addition to Greenland, large icebergs break off from the glacier covering Antarctica. Icebergs only stay in the sea for a year or so, but sometimes they get stuck to the seabed and remain in place for a long time. Then they resemble real mountains.
Jukka Tuhkuri
ice researcher, professor of strength theory
Aalto University