A giant iceberg larger than New York City has broken down in Antarctica, according to researchers on Friday.
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said in a statement that scientists began searching for cracks in the ice about a decade after the 90-square-mile iceberg broke off the Brent ice ice shelf. New York City is about 302 square miles.
“Our teams at BAS have been preparing for the peace of the iceberg from the Brent ice shelf for years,” said Professor Dame Jane Francis, director of the British Antarctic Survey.
The size of the world’s largest esburger is moving in this direction and shipping vessels should move forward.
The first sign that the glacier would break was in November when a new spongy – called the North Rift – moved into another large body of water about 20 miles away. In January, more than half a mile a day pushed north-east, cutting off a 490-foot-thick floating ice shelf.
The iceberg formed after the crack widened on the morning of February 26, “Free from the rest. [the] Floating ice shelf, ”according to BAS.
BAS monitors the ice shelf daily, using an automated network of high-precision GPS instruments around the Haley research station, to measure how the ice shelf is distorting and moving, Francis said. The teams also use satellite images of ESA, NASA and the German satellite Terraser-X.
The heli station is located on the ice shelf attached to the continent, under all the active barricades, Francis said. “Our network of GPS instruments will alert us early if the iceberg of this iceberg changes the ice around our station.”
The 12-person team left the Haley Research Station early last month, which is now closed for the Antarctic winter. The station was protected from a break in 2016 as it moved to the hinterland to avoid two chasm roads named “Chasam 1” and “Halloween Crack”.
Iceberg the size of Deliver Drifting to Tower Island in the South Atlantic Ocean
Francis added that in the coming weeks or months the iceberg could be removed or spoiled and Brent could stay close to the ice shelf.
“Our job now is to keep an eye on the situation and assess any possible impact of the existing shingles on the rest of the ice shelf,” said Simon Garrod, director of rations operations at BAS. “We are constantly reviewing our contingency plans to ensure the safety of our staff, to keep our research station safe, and to maintain the science that Haley has provided.”
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The researchers said there was no evidence that climate change had played a significant role in the phenomenon.
According to BAS, “Haley’s ice change is a natural process and has nothing to do with the quiet occasions seen on the Larsen Sea ice shelf.”
