233 sq. mile Iceberg 24
Nevyan sends in a link about a substantial iceberg breaking free of the Antarctic ice.
In any formula, constants (especially those obtained from handbooks) are to be treated as variables.
Damn? (Score:1)
Anyway we could use it? (Score:1)
Re:Anyway we could use it? (Score:1)
I really doubt there's anything much we can do with an iceberg floating around in Antarctica somewhere. Frankly, I'm not even really sure why it matters at all or what it means. Do you suppose having large icebergs break off is a symptom of global warming? Or does it just happen every once in a while?
Re:Anyway we could use it? (Score:1)
Icebergs break off all of the time, although I think this is a really big one as far as that goes. I think that one shouldn't consider one iceberg a symptom of global warming, because it's just not that big in the grand scheme of things.
I would just guess that higher temperatures are making, not so much bigger icebergs, but just many more medium size icebergs.
Re:Anyway we could use it? (Score:3, Interesting)
An iceberg this big could not be towed. But maybe people could go on board and stud the big thing with masts that had radio and computer controlled sails, and try to move it that way. You have a lot of time, because something of this size would take years to melt even at the equator. A chunk of ice shelf this size will calf off icebergs itself, so the project would have to watch and track them and warn shipping. Moving a chunk of ice shelf this way may be easier than towing a normal iceberg, because it won't roll over as it melts.
Towing icebergs to get fresh water: http://www.antarctica.org/UK/Envirn/pag/glaces_UK/ oceanes_UK/remorquer_UK.htm [antarctica.org].
This has happened before: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=00/07/24/171420 0 [slashdot.org].
Re:Anyway we could use it? (Score:2)
New country for the Taliban? (Score:3, Funny)
Hurry up! (Score:1)
Re:Hurry up! (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Hurry up! (Score:1)
What about the animals (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:What about the animals (Score:2, Informative)
Interesting (Score:1)
Re:Interesting (Score:1)
3 feet would be an insane amount, 3 inches sounds more reasonable.
Re:Interesting (Score:1)
Yes, 3 feet is an insane amount, but thats a lot of friggin ice, considering that 90% of the iceberg is actually underwater.
Re:Interesting (Score:1)
Floating? Most of the ice in Antarctica is not floating! There's land under there you know - Antarctica's a continent.
Now the Ross Ice Shelf is floating - I'm not sure how that would affect sea levels if it melted.
someone needs to (Score:1)