Life cycle of an iceberg
Icebergs are biggest when they calve from the ice shelf. After that, the sun and the ocean start to melt the iceberg. Waves erode its sides and small pieces of ice constantly break off. But perhaps the most dramatic way that icebergs get smaller is by splitting, from waves flexing the iceberg, or losing their rams. Rams are portions of an iceberg that jut out horizontally from an iceberg underwater. These can break away and surge to the surface under their own buoyancy. An iceberg’s route is determined by the action of wind, waves, and ocean currents.