Science & Technology

Monster-sized iceberg splits from Antarctica

By T.K. Randall
July 12, 2017 ·  7 comments

The Larsen Ice Shelf rift before the iceberg broke away. Image Credit: NASA ICE The iceberg, which split from a region of Antarctica known as the Larsen C Ice Shelf, is believed to cover an area of over 6,000 square miles and is approximately 200 meters in thickness.

At roughly the size of Delaware, the iceberg weighs somewhere in the region of one trillion tonnes.

"The iceberg is one of the largest recorded and its future progress is difficult to predict," said Adrian Luckman of MIDAS, a UK-based Antarctic research project.

"It may remain in one piece but is more likely to break into fragments. Some of the ice may remain in the area for decades, while parts of the iceberg may drift north into warmer waters."


Source: BBC News | Comments (7)

Tags: Antarctica, Iceberg