International Ice Patrol

The area of the North Atlantic where the Titan vanished Sunday is also prone to fog and stormy conditions, making it an extremely challenging environment to conduct a search-and-rescue mission, said Donald Murphy, an oceanographer who served as chief scientist of the Coast Guard’s International Ice Patrol.

According to the Coast Guard’s International Ice Patrol program, the four years from 2014 to 2017 all experienced “extreme” iceberg conditions in the North Atlantic, with most of the icebergs originating from Greenland.

The Coast Guard International Ice Patrol monitors iceberg danger in the North Atlantic and warns ships.

More than 600 bergs have drifted into the North Atlantic shipping lanes so far, a count not usually reached until late May or early June, according to the International Ice Patrol of the United States Coast Guard in New London, Conn. The typical amount for April is closer to 80.

The international ice patrol was formed after the sinking of the Titanic to monitor iceberg danger in the North Atlantic and warn ships.