- An iceberg larger than New York City has broken off an ice shelf in Antarctica, scientists say.
- The 490-square mile glacier broke off the Brunt Ice Shelf, where the British Antarctic Survey’s Halley Research Station is located, the research organization announced.
- Glaciologists have been expecting a large calving event for at least a decade, according to BAS.
- The first indication that the glacier would break off was in November, when a new chasm named the North Rift headed toward another chasm about 20 miles away.
A recent news article published in the ABC News and written by Julia Jacobo reveals that an Antarctic iceberg larger than New York City breaks off ice shelf.
490-foot thick ice shelf
The rift then pushed northeast more than half a mile a day starting in January, cutting through the 490-foot thick ice shelf, scientists said. The iceberg formed when the crack widened on Feb. 26, releasing it from the ice shelf.
“Our teams at BAS have been prepared for the calving of an iceberg from Brunt Ice Shelf for years,” Director of British Antarctic Survey Dame Jane Francis said in a statement.
The BAS monitors
The BAS monitors the ice shelf daily using an automated network of high-precision GPS instruments surrounding the station.
These instruments measure how the ice shelf is deforming and moving. Satellite images from the European Space Agency, NASA and German satellite TerraSAR-X are also used, Francis said.
The impact of the calving on ice shelf unclear
The impact of the calving event on the ice shelf is unclear, scientists said.
Over the coming weeks or months the iceberg may move away or could run aground and remain close to the ice shelf, Francis said.
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Source: ABC News
