Recently I was working with I Believe in Montessori, and as you may guess, the project was on icebergs! Needless to say, I am now enamored! And so the credit for this post idea goes to Katherine!
I guess being so far from these icy giants, I had never really considered the details of icebergs.
I do often quote the old saying "the tip of the iceberg" though. I apologize in advance, because I close to wear out the phrase in this post!
Now that I have a little more information about these frozen wonders, of course I want to share my tip of this iceberg with you!
Jump into the frozen waters with me and discover some fun facts about what's below the surface of icebergs!
First, what is an iceberg actually? An iceberg is made of freshwater ice that breaks off of a glacier and floats off into the ocean.
While you're here, also revel in the mind blowing Arctic and Antarctic nature photography of Malin Hanning.
She is a powerhouse of a creative and adventurous woman that I was lucky enough to get to spend time with right before the pandemic. I could literally listen for hours to her travel stories of her excursions to both poles. Malin has generously allowed me to use her photos for this post.
100% of the photography credit in this post goes to Malin Hanning.
Types of Icebergs:
Did you know there are different types of icebergs? It makes sense when you think about it, but until recently I had no idea. Let's learn a few fun facts about the different types.
Tabular iceberg - A flat iceberg that looks like a long flat slab of ice.
Dome iceberg - An iceberg that has a rounded top surface, like a dome.
Blocky iceberg - An iceberg that literally looks like a floating block.
Wedge iceberg - This iceberg looks like a triangle, or a giant slice of cheese.
Drydock iceberg - In this iceberg, there is a slot where the water flows through a channel of sorts.
(Malin explained that the emerald green water in this photo is due to an Antarctic algae bloom.)
Pinnacle iceberg - An iceberg that looks like a mountain peak. These icebergs can also have multiple peaks.
Parts of an Iceberg:
Some icebergs floating in the polar seas can be hundreds or even thousands of years old!
Peak - The tip top of the iceberg that can be seen above the water.
Hummock - The whole of the iceberg that can be seen above the waterline. (About 10% of the entire iceberg!)
Bummock - The majority of the iceberg, found underwater. (About 90% of an iceberg.)
*If your curiosity is sparked on learning more about icebergs and bringing the wonders of the polar ice to your children and students, be sure to check out the I Believe in Montessori link below so you can get the full card materials printable activity set!
It is complete with so much great information about icebergs. These fun facts here are literally just the tip of the iceberg of what is in the set!*
Icebergs Come in Colors?
Amazing right? Icebergs are beautiful and fascinating. They come in colors such as blue, green, black, yellow, white (of course), and even pink and striped depending on the amount of air trapped in the ice, the age, the distance traveled, how often it has melted and refrozen, and what impurities are frozen within the ice.
Very pure ice has no, or few air bubbles, so it looks very clear and dark.
Impurities in icebergs are usually natural and include air bubbles, seawater, dead plankton, minerals from soil run off, or even volcanic ash.
The Tip of the Iceberg:
Are you beginning to see how one could quickly become enamored with icebergs? Well, this blog post is literally the tip of the iceberg of all the amazing things there are to learn about icebergs! (Be sure to check out the materials offered by I Believe in Montessori below!!)
Perhaps one day we will meet on a polar expedition, joined by the wonder of ice!
Until then, I leave you with 3 action steps to bring more icy wonder into your winter days - at home and school, thanks to I Believe in Montessori's amazing Iceberg, Arctic and Antarctic Animals materials, & Winter Bundles.
Plus inspiring words by Malin herself!
[I] "Can not get enough of icebergs. It is something about the shapes, the texture and the colors. All very different from each other, I love them.
Every single one of them."
- Malin Hanning, Nature photographer and Antarctic Ambassador
Follow...
Malin Hanning on Instagram to see the most spectacular polar wildlife and nature photos.
You definitely want her gorgeous images in front of your eyes regularly!
Click here
learn...
A. Learn more about how climate change is affecting algae blooms in Antarctica.
Click here
B. Learn more about the colors of icebergs.
Click here
Check out...
I Believe In Montessori's incredible line up of winter inspired learning materials!
Icebergs, Antarctic animals, animals in winter, & more teach and inspire via the wonders of nature all winter!
Click here
What do you find most interesting about icebergs?
Share in the comments below!
Have you ever seen an iceberg up close? Share photos on Instagram #wingswormsandwonder and tell us all about your adventure!
Seeds to Sprout
Make an Ice Catcher
If it's cold as ice out, or you have access to a freezer, make your own winter "sun catcher" out of ice and adorned with nature bits - an Ice Catcher!
Winter Fun Everyday!
Don't let the weather slow down your creative nature connecting! It's all about a little mental reframe. Gather some inspiration from the Scandinavians in this post!
What are Ice discs?
A couple years back I had the mind blowing discovery of ice discs in the river behind my parents' house.
Take a peek at these amazing ice "lily pads" and learn a bit!