Is the Ice Wall from 'Game of Thrones' Physically Possible?

In famous tv serial "Game of Thrones" a great wall of ice helps repel giants and the white walkers. But this type of wall really possible on Earth? Study suggests that its not real because without magic, such a barrier would fall rapidly.

The gigantic ice barrier is known as "The Wall" in "Game of Thrones". It is about 700 feet (215 meters) high, 300 miles (480 kilometers) long. One of the nine wonders made by humans in "A Song of Ice and Fire" from which "Game of Thrones" is adapted, the Wall was built by the legendary figure known as Brandon the Builder.

The aim of the Wall is to defend the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms. To protect the Wall against invaders, the military order known as the Night's Watch possesses 19 forts, such as the Shadow Tower and Castle Black.

Truffer calculated that the weight of an ice wall about 655 feet (200 m) high would generate nearly 1.8 megapascals (261 pounds per square inch) of stress at its base. In comparison, the amount of stress it typically takes for ice to flow in glaciers is just 0.1 megapascals (14.5 psi) or so, Truffer said.

The rate at which the Wall would deform would depend significantly on the average annual temperature of the air around it. "Because there are forests around the Wall, it can't be that cold — say, minus 10 degrees Celsius," Truffer said. "At that temperature, the wall would quickly slump within a few months, or maybe even a few days."

One way to keep the Wall stable might be to cool it significantly. For instance, chilling the Wall to minus 40 degrees F (minus 40 degrees C) would reduce the amount of strain it experienced by about a hundredfold, Truffer said.

"There a few places on Earth that cold — some in Antarctica," Truffer said.

However, even if chilled to minus 40 degrees F, the Wall would still slump significantly over several years, Truffer said.

"The books say the Wall is about 8,000 years old, and after 1,000 years, it would be pretty flat," Truffer said. "That defeats the whole purpose of the Wall."

"I conclude that the ice wall as proposed would not be a practicable defense under typical Earth conditions. Special magical powers would be necessary to maintain its shape, even for just a few days." Truffer stated in the findings.