A giant iceberg breaks off from Antarctica

Researchers announced this Monday (23) that an iceberg larger than the city of São Paulo broke off an ice shelf in Antarctica. It is the second time in less than two years that such a large chunk of ice has broken off the continent.

Even with global warming causing glaciers to melt in the Arctic and parts of Antarctica, the calving of the iceberg was caused naturally. According to researchers from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), what has happened is a natural process called childbirth.

The iceberg has an area of ​​1550 square kilometers and a thickness of 150 meters. Ice broke off the Brunt shelf 10 years after the cracks were first noticed in the shelf.

The other iceberg that broke off Antarctica was about 1270 square kilometers.

This calving event was expected and is part of the natural behavior of the Brunt Ice Shelf. It is not related to climate change.

Dominic Hodgson, BAS glaciologist, in response physicist

research station

Next to the breaking iceberg is the British research station Halley VI, which was unaffected by the separation. It had already been moved from the premises between 2016 and 2017, when a crack threatened it.

The station constantly monitors the iceberg, with its 21 researchers currently on site.

Our science and operations teams continue to monitor the ice shelf in real time to ensure it is safe and to continue delivering the science we do at Halley

Dominic Hodgson

After the station relocation, research teams are sent to Antarctica only during the Antarctic summer, between November and March. In winter, polls are monitored remotely.

In the Antarctic winter it is night 24 hours a day and temperatures are generally below -50° Celsius. Science experiments are maintained with power supplies and facilities

Researchers currently at the research station are expected to be airlifted from the site around February 6.

The after the giant iceberg broke off in Antarctica first appeared on Olhar Digital.

Source: Olhar Digital