According to a recent press release by the Glacier Society, icebergs can sometimes be striped. So if you are in far southern latitudes this summer and see one of these striped beauties, you will know that what you’re seeing is real and it isn’t a result of overdoing it at cocktail hour.
The explanation from the Glacier Society: Icebergs in the Antarctic area sometimes have stripes, formed by layers of snow that react to different conditions. Blue stripes are often created when a crevice in the ice sheet fills up with meltwater and freezes so quickly that no bubbles form.
When an iceberg falls into the sea, a layer of salty seawater can freeze to the underside. If this is rich in algae, it can form a green stripe. Brown, black and yellow lines are caused by sediment, picked up when the ice sheet grinds downhill towards the sea.
