Millions of people will likely view the movie Titanic. Countless other programs, movies, shows and articles have addressed the topic of the worst sea disaster ever. Most people know the story of the largest movable object made by man, which struck an iceberg in the north Atlantic one cold April night. Over fifteen hundred people died in this disaster. Icebergs can be very treacherous, often measuring hundreds of feet across. Lets take a closer look at icebergs, and how we try to prevent such disasters as the Titanic from ever happening again.

      In the northern hemisphere, icebergs form in the arctic, around Greenland.  An iceberg today actually probably began formation about 2000 years ago. Snow fall builds up  on the ice cap of Greenland. Over several months the snow turns into a granular mixture called firn. After decades of this buildup for snow and firn, the bottom layers become a dense layer of ice. It is now called a glacier. Driven by its enormous weight, the glacier begins to move seaward, sometimes as rapidly as 65 feet per day. Eventually the glaciers reach Greenland's western coast where they enter the sea. The motion of tides weaken the structure of the glacier and chunks begin to break off. This process is called calving and results in the birth of an iceberg.

 
    The old saying "just the tip of the iceberg" to mean something may be far more than its appearance, is quite true. Icebergs show only about 1/8 of themselves above the water surface. What may look massive on the surface, is far more so underneath. Bergs are moved by undercurrents, not the surface waters, that is why it is not uncommon to see an iceberg moving directly into strong winds. If the iceberg is heading for the Atlantic ocean, it moves through Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea. It is a long trip and most icebergs melt before ever reaching the Atlantic Ocean. It is estimated that while 15,000 to 30,000 bergs are calved annually, only a few hundred actually reach the Atlantic. And the bergs that do make the Atlantic usually only live a few months before they melt. Still, it takes only one large berg to cause a disaster.

      The worst marine disaster in history took place April 15, 1912 with the sinking of the RMS Titanic. More than 1,500 people perished from her crew and passengers compliment of 2,224. The ship was on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, the ship was the largest passenger liner of the time, weighing in at more than 46,000 tons and capable of sustaining speeds of 22 knots. The vessel had the latest safety features, such as automatically closing water tight doors and much more, inspiring the press to call the ship unsinkable. Yet with all her grandeur, clear skies and calm seas, the ship struck an iceberg just south of the Grand Banks and sunk completely within 2.5 hours.

      Loss of the Titanic made it clear to everyone on both sides of the Atlantic that the seas could be an incredibly dangerous place. Public outrage pushed the governments into holding inquiries to plan safety measures and monitoring of the bergs. Immediately, the US Navy assigned two ships to patrol the Grand Banks area. In 1913, when the Navy could no longer spare the ships, the Revenue Cutter Service (later to become the Coast Guard) took over this job.

      A convention amongst nations interested in the safety of the Atlantic Seas was held shortly after the Titanic disaster. Over 13 nations attended. It was believed that the United States was best equipped to handle patrolling the Great Banks waters, with the cost shared by all nations supporting it. In February 1914,  the International Ice Observation and Ice Patrol Service was launched.. Each year since then, with exception of the wartime years, a patrol has been maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. Today the International Ice Patrol is located at the Coast Guard Research and Development
Center in Groton, Connecticut

      The Ice Patrol primarily uses aircraft to track icebergs, though cutters may be used in times of low visibility. Satellite data is also being used. The best part about these diligent people is that since the inception of IIP there has not been a reported loss of life orproperty due to collision with an iceberg with vessels that have heeded Ice Patrol's published limits of all known ice.

     And the Ice Patrol has not forgotten its origins. Every April 15th, the Ice Patrol flies over the location where Titanic went down, and drops a wreath in remembrance of those who died.