Iceberg Calving

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iceberg calving
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What causes iceberg calving?

A glacier calves when there is insufficient ice below the water line of the glacier's facade to support the weight of the corresponding ice above the water line. The undermining is caused by the comparatively warm seawater, which slowly melts the ice it touches.

Recalving

Once calved, an iceberg can calve, too. That's one critical reason you don't want to get too close to an iceberg. The other reason is that an iceberg by nature is unstable. It can suddenly roll over, with its submerged part (which is six times larger than the exposed portion) hitting your boat. If it misses your boat, the huge wave created by the topsy-turvy rotation could swamp your ship or capsize your Zodiac.

Unique

Like fingerprints, no two icebergs are identical. Each has a unique shape.

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