In mid-May 2025, a fisherman captured images of a completely black iceberg floating among white ice floes in the Labrador Sea.
This rare phenomenon has sparked curiosity about the potential origins of this unusual coloration.
The fisherman, aboard the boat Saputi, recorded the iceberg and shared the video on social media, describing the formation as "completely black" and with "a strange, diamond-like shape."
Icebergs typically appear white due to tiny air bubbles trapped in the ice, which scatter light in all directions.
However, when the ice becomes denser, these bubbles disappear, allowing light to penetrate deeper and reflect only certain wavelengths, resulting in a bluish coloration.
Other hues, such as green or black, can arise when the ice incorporates foreign materials.
In the case of the black iceberg observed in the Labrador Sea, one possibility is that it formed from a glacier that dragged dark sediments as it advanced towards the sea.
As the glacier moved, it incorporated rocks, soil, and minerals, which, when compacted with the ice, gave it a darker coloration.
Another hypothesis is that the iceberg incorporated volcanic ash or debris from an ancient meteorite.
These materials could have been captured by the glacier during its movement, resulting in the observed black coloration.
Previous studies have documented icebergs with unusual colorations.
For example, in 1985, an expedition in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica, recorded a dark green iceberg whose composition was studied for years.
Researchers found that its color was due to a mixture of ferrous iron from the seabed with extremely pure glacial ice.
These observations raised questions about how icebergs can transport minerals from the continent to the ocean, even influencing marine ecosystems.
The discovery of the black iceberg in the Labrador Sea highlights the complexity of the processes affecting the formation and coloration of icebergs.
While the exact origin of this specific iceberg remains a mystery, it offers a valuable opportunity for scientists to study how diverse materials can be incorporated into ice and how this can impact marine ecosystems.
To understand the precise origin of this black iceberg, a detailed study of its composition would be necessary before it melts.
However, in such a vast and constantly changing ocean, that opportunity may have already passed.