Icebergs of the Antartic Circle.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 180, 27 November 1886, Page 6

Icebergs of the Antartic Circle.

It may be regarded aa conclusively prove&i that there is a great mass of continental land within the Antarctic Circle. Ross believed the vegetable kingdom to be quite unrepre--sented on Antarctic land. And no land animals have been observed. The snow and ice envelopiag Antarctic land and shed from it into the ocean in theform of immense, fiat-topped, table-shaped icebergs, have a most fascinating interest not only from the great magnitude, terrific grandeur, and beauty of the phenomena, but also from the scientific questions connected with the ice-cap and the icebergsstill remaining unanswered. Off the steep escarpments of Victoria. Land, and off other portions of Antarctic laud, where high mountains are close to the coast, there is no true " Ice-Barrier," but here and there, descending from the ravines of the mountain ranges, glaciers are pushedconsiderable distances into the sea. Theperpendicular cliffs of ice 150 and 200 feet in height, that is to say, the true Ice-Barrier,, would appear to occupy all the coast-line-where the land is low, and to be the terminal portions of the great ice-cap, which descends from the interior of the continent to all the lower lands. This great mass of continental ice cannot reach the ocean where the coast is lined by high mountains,, but following the bends of the great valley 3» is pushed seawards over the plains, and off these eventually give birth to the tabular, stratified icebergs so characteristic of the Southern Ocean. The uniform height of about 175 feet of the icebergs in high southern latitudes hasstruck all observers, and there can be no doubt that they have been derived from the icy barrier which is gradually pushed, out to Bea. As these bergs float northwards with thscurrents they become tilted and gradually lose the regular tabular appearance which they have nearer tbeir source in higher latitudes. The waves dash against them, as against a rocky shore, and they are cut into gullies, caverns, and caves ; the water as it washes in and out of these makes a resounding roar which is very loud whea many bergs are around the ship. Thepinnacled bergs have often very larg& bases, which run out into spurs and irregular projectiona, and these bergs are sometimes higher than the tabular ones. The highest berg seen by Captain, Cook was from 300 to 400 feet high. Ross does not mention any veryhigh berg ; Wilkes estimates his highest at 500 feet ; the highest sesn by the Challenger was only 248 feet. The tabular bergs are frequently four or five miles in length ;, the stratification is extremely fine at the water's edge, but the strata become thicker and the blue lines further apart as they are traced to the summit of the cliffs. The naturaliste of the Challenger did not observe any rocks or marine matter on any of the bergs ; however, these have been seen by Ross and other voyagers. The colouring of these Southern bergs is magnificent : the general mass has an appearance like loaf sugar ; the crevices, caves, and hollows are of the deepest and purest azure blue ; at night they have a luminous glow, and there are reasons for believing that many are to some extent phosphorescent. — " Scottish Geographical Magazine."