A huge iceberg, larger than New York City, broke free from an ice shelf in Antarctica, according to researchers on Friday.
The 490 square mile iceberg separated from Brunt’s ice shelf about a decade after scientists began to detect cracks in the ice, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) wrote in a statement. New York City is approximately 302 square miles.
“Our BAS teams have been prepared for the birth of an iceberg on Brunt’s ice shelf for years,” said Professor Dame Jane Francis, director of the British Antarctic Survey.
THE LARGEST ICEBERG IN THE WORLD THE DELAWARE SIZE IS FLOWING IN OPEN WATER AND MAY DANGER TRANSPORT SHIPS
The first indication that the glacier was going to break occurred in November, when a new chasm – called the North Rift – headed for another great chasm about 20 miles away. In January, the crack moved north-east at more than 800 meters a day, cutting through the 120-meter-thick floating ice shelf.
The iceberg formed after the crack widened on the morning of February 26th “, freeing it from the rest of the [the] floating ice shelf “, according to BAS.
BAS monitors the ice shelf daily using an automated network of high-precision GPS instruments around Halley Research Station, which measures how the ice shelf is deforming and moving, Francis said. The teams also use satellite imagery from ESA, NASA and the German TerraSAR-X satellite.
“Halley Station is located inside all the active chasms, on the part of the ice shelf that remains connected to the continent,” said Francis. “Our network of GPS instruments will let us know in advance if the break of the iceberg causes changes in the ice around our station.”
The 12-person team left Halley Research Station early last month, which is now closed for the Antarctic winter. The station was protected from the break, as it moved inland in 2016 to avoid the paths of two chasms – called “Chasm 1” and “Halloween Crack”.
ICEBERG THE SIZE OF DELAWARE DRIVING TO THE ISLAND IN SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
Francis added that in the next few weeks or months, the iceberg may move or run aground and remain close to the Brunt ice shelf.
“Our job now is to keep an eye on the situation and assess any potential impact of the current delivery on the remaining ice shelf,” said Simon Garrod, BAS’s Director of Operations. “We continually review our contingency plans to ensure the safety of our staff, protect our research station and maintain the delivery of the science that we carry out at Halley.”
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The researchers said there was no evidence that climate change played a significant role in the event.
“The change in ice at Halley is a natural process and there is no connection with the birthing events seen on the Larsen C ice shelf,” according to BAS.