Comments on: Iceberg, Dead Ahead!

By: A Lady in Texas

A Lady in Texas — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:31:22 +0000

The above link shows a spot in far northern Canada where Google caught some ice in the midst of breaking up and if you drag the map downwards, you can see even more of the same going on to the North.

By: Pennycake

Pennycake — Mon, 29 May 2006 14:49:43 +0000

Does anyone have a clue what’s this large yellow half-buried rectangle amidst the pristine white snow?

Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

All my googling attempts failed to dredge up any answers.

By: DAVE Z.

DAVE Z. — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 06:29:28 +0000

Greenland got me thinking that it’s too bad that we can’t see Hans Island, which also got me thinking, too bad we can’t see Rockall!

By: Pierre

Pierre — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 22:29:31 +0000

OK, here’s one final post for me about the “icebergs” from an expert who spent a long time at the Thule AFB:

“Greenland is a giant island surrounded by sea water. During the summer the sea ice melts/breaks-up and is blown away from the land. The ice cap melts and forms rivers of water that feed the glaciers and the river/glacier move towards the sea. They break off and once in the water the chunks become the icebergs. They flow freely out to sea until the fall when everything freezes in place. The glaciers stop moving, any icebergs not long gone and stuck in place until the next summer, because the sea ice freezes and the icebergs can’t move. Then the cycle starts again.”

So the really large masses of ice are not really icebergs but more like Nicolas described.

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 22:26:46 +0000

D’you think these are icebergs?

Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

They look like they’re breaking off of a glacier.

By: Nicolas

Nicolas — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 14:52:11 +0000

IMHO, those are not icebergs. It’s more like ice field that is breaking up. I don’t know if “ice field” is the correct term for french “banquise”, (very) large flat ice chunks that floats on the water, home of the polar bear. I think another term could be ice-barrier… anyway, something like that : http://www.futura-sciences.com/img/Banquise.jpg or that : http://www.capitainedepeche.com/ROTY/ice23.jpg

By: William

William — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 14:25:14 +0000

Erik the Red named Greenland to encourage settlers to leave iceland (where he was tossed out of). He lead 25 ships of settlers and ruled the first colony on Greenland.
Interesting article: http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/scn/faq532.html

By: Nigerachie

Nigerachie — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 12:20:22 +0000

Its moldy, there alot of green mold in greenland… hince the name. duh!

By: Pierre

Pierre — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 11:52:56 +0000

All the photos I have received show virtually no vegetation at all in this area – and that was in July 2004! Perhaps the Google image is some kind of false color rendering. My sister has sent me one image of a small yellow flower, but the most of the ground is just dirt and rock (unless glacier covered).

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 04:20:40 +0000

My question is, why does the surrounding landscape look green in the sattellite picture? I mean, if there are no icebergs in the sea in Pierre’s link, this is probably a warm part of the year, but the ground still is white.