The world’s tallest iceberg was measured off the coast of Greenland in 1958, it was 550 feet (168 m) high.
That’s about the same height as the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.
About one-fifth to one-eighth of a typical iceberg protrudes above the surface of the water.
This is because ice is less dense than seawater and causes it to float.
The shape and size of the underwater portion of an iceberg can be difficult to judge by just looking at what is above the surface.
Thus the expression “tip of the iceberg”, for a problem or issue that is deceptively small but is in reality a much larger problem.
The word “iceberg” is a partial loan translation from the Dutch word “ijsberg”, literally meaning “ice mountain”.
