CALVING HORIZON

The Physics of Glacial Fracture & Ocean Buoyancy

60m above sea level — 90% hidden below

Scroll to begin descent

BEAT 02 / HYDROSTATIC CREVASSE PROPAGATION

Hydrostatic Crevasse Propagation

0 Billion Tons Ice Lost / Year

Water-filled surface crevasses exert hydrostatic pressure that cuts through 100+ meters of dense ice in minutes, driving sudden full-thickness calving at the terminus.

Source: Benn et al., Journal of Glaciology / NASA GRACE & GRACE-FO Mission

BEAT 03 / ARCHIMEDES’ CRYOSPHERIC EQUILIBRIUM

Archimedes’ Cryospheric Equilibrium

89.46%Submerged

10.54%Exposed

V_submerged = (ρ_ice / ρ_ocean) · V_total ρ_ice ≈ 917 kg/m³ | ρ_ocean ≈ 1025 kg/m³

Source: USGS Water Science School / IPCC SROCC

BEAT 04 / BASAL MELT & DYNAMIC ROLLOVER

Basal Melt & Dynamic Rollover

4× Faster Melt vs. Air Temperature Alone

Sub-surface ocean warming erodes the submerged keel, shifting the center of mass upward relative to the center of buoyancy until restoring torque collapses — triggering a full rollover.

STABILITY MARGIN

Source: Ocean–Ice Interaction Studies, Nature Geoscience

BEAT 05 / INTERACTIVE CRYOSPHERE LAB

Interactive Cryosphere Lab

Drag to orbit. Adjust ocean temperature, choose an iceberg profile, or sketch a custom silhouette to stress-test its floating stability.

PHYSICS MODE

Live physics: erosion, buoyancy and rocking run continuously.

OCEAN TEMPERATURE 0.0°C

0°C+8°C

ICEBERG PROFILE

DIMENSIONS

Height 1.00x

Width 1.00x

Mass 1.00x

MASS EST.—

C.O.M OFFSET—

STABILITYSTABLE

TABULAR · MEDIUM WMO / Intl. Ice Patrol size class

WAVE AMPLITUDE0.00 m

Keys: 1–5 jump beats · ↓/↑ step