Icebergs. They go where they will. Sometimes they get in the way of things, like the Titanic, or ram things like oil rigs. Sometimes people wish they would go to a place where ice would be useful, like the western sahara. But icebergs are huge and unweildy.

I propose that unequal melting could be used to steer icebergs. Huge sheets of black plastic perforated with holes should cause the plastic coated side to melt faster due to solar heating, with melt water leaving from that side and so pushing the iceberg.

One could hang these sheets on icebergs with concerning trajectories to encourage them elsewhere, or even to bring them to port for later distribution.

The black plastic would be that stuff made out of corn, so critters could munch it once it fell off the iceberg into the ocean.
-- bungston, Aug 09 2011

Topical... http://www.popsci.c...could-actually-work
Iceberg towing, from Popular Science (the first article on the site, at the moment) [neutrinos_shadow, Aug 09 2011]

Katabatic Wind Power Generation http://web.archive....0Power_20Generation
Looks like this was one UB deleted on leaving the HB, so here it is via the wayback machine. Maybe, If the link works. [bungston, Aug 10 2011]

Iceberg towing http://www.theatlan...ing-schemes/243364/
Found on google.news [bungston, Aug 11 2011]

Problem: in extreme northern or southern regions (where, as I understand it, icebergs are most commonly found), the sun only shines on one side of things. If you want to make custom alterations to the far side of the iceberg, you'll have to turn it around. Some icebergs are quite large and, as you pointed out, don't steer well.
-- Alterother, Aug 09 2011


This idea has been taken up by th lobe of my brain which is in charge of thinking up steampunk fiction scenarios for CGI-enhanced movies. I envision a huge iceberg mounted with masts and giant sails, steered into the port of an enemy where it crashes forward unstoppably destroying all the tall masted warships in its path. The folks who rigged this up would be the same people with the katabatic wind harnessing technology as discussed in the linked idea.

Hollywood, I will work for a percentage of the net!
-- bungston, Aug 10 2011


Sit a submarine's nuclear powerplant on the iceberg, and use the heat it can produce to (a) melt ice to water, and (b) turn water to steam.

Apply (b) to (a) via a steerable nozzle.

Et viola. A steerable iceberg.
-- 8th of 7, Aug 10 2011


[+] I voted for the title...
-- xandram, Aug 11 2011



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