10/11/2023 0 Comments Antarctica iceberg breaksThis dramatic breakup comes after a major crack formed on the shelf in November 2020. Once huge blocks of ice have formed, icebergs occasionally detach as a result of marine currents, temperature changes and other environmental factors. A giant iceberg, more than 20 times the size of Manhattan, just split off from Antarcticas Brunt Ice Shelf. Icebergs and the two polar caps account for approximately 70% of all fresh water on the planet.Įxperts in the field estimate that icebergs are formed in temperatures of up to -89C (-128F), far below the frozen water in places where sunlight rarely reaches. Mostly originating from Greenland and Antarctica, icebergs are wandering masses which float around the earth’s two poles. “And at the end of December, Antarctic sea ice extent stood at the lowest in the 45-year satellite record.” What are icebergs? “While the decline in Antarctic sea ice extent is always steep at this time of year, it has been unusually rapid this year,” the National Snow and Ice Data Center reported earlier this month. Satellite imagery captured an iceberg that broke off the nearly 500-foot. But while uncertainty remains about exactly what will happen in West Antarctica. The new images of the iceberg's big break were captured by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, an Earth-observing project made up of two orbiting satellites. Our science and operational teams continue to monitor the ice shelf in real-time to ensure it is safe, and to maintain the delivery of the science we undertake at Halley,” said BAS glaciologist Professor Dominic Hodgson. The calving comes amid record-low sea ice extent in Antarctica, where it is summer. Other recent research has suggested chunks of ice that break off the glacier will help arrest further collapse. “ This calving event has been expected and is part of the natural behavior of the Brunt Ice Shelf. It was the first organization to notice the breaking and cracks on the ice shelf. The first signs that something big was happening, were detected by the British Antarctic Survey. Full screen Huge iceberg breaks off in the Antarctic EUROPEAN UNION, COPERNICUS SENTI EUROPEAN UNION via REUTERS ICEBERG A-76, THE WORLDS LARGEST Antarctica is known for producing large icebergs, as they break off its ice shelves and ice sheets.
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