An Iceberg Flips

Written by

Footage of a massive iceberg flipping in Greenland has gone viral. The feat took place off the coast of Ilulissat and was caught on a nearby livestream camera. Icebergs shift like this because they melt unevenly, with submerged areas melting faster. As the underwater shape of the iceberg changes, the buoyant forces shift relative to the iceberg’s center of mass, and it flips, eventually settling into a (temporarily) stable orientation. This situation is simpler in the lab version, though; as the video here shows, real icebergs can also rapidly lose mass if they start breaking apart. That, too, can necessitate a flip. (Video and image credit: AfarTV; via Colossal)