The Tip Of The Iceberg

Iceberg that sunk the Titanic was 100,000 years old and originally weighed 75 million tonnes.

16:44 07 March 2016

Professor Grant Bigg from Sheffield University believes that the Titanic was sunk by a mega-iceberg that originally weighed 75 million tonnes.

 

Using computer modeling, the scientist found that it formed from snow that fell 100,000 years ago. He used observations taken in 1912 and added modern data about ocean current and winds. The data suggests that it was a massive glacier from Greenland that caused the most infamous disaster in maritime history.

 

Prof Bigg said: “We have a computer model for calculating the paths of icebergs in any given year.

 

“We take what we know about ocean currents, then add meteorological readings for that year to calculate prevailing winds.

 

“Applying those techniques to 1912 points to the iceberg coming from around Qassimiut on Greenland’s southwest coast.”

 

Titanic, the largest vessel in the world, sank on April 15 killing 1,517.