A massive 1,550 square kilometer iceberg broke away from mainland Antarctica last Sunday during a spring tide. This is what researchers report British Antarctic Survey (BAS).

The colossus, which is the size of Greater London, broke off the 150-meter-thick Brunt Ice Shelf after cracks across the ice sheet had developed in recent years. The British glaciologists speak of natural developments.

The iceberg calved after the crack known as Chasm-1, which was much shorter when it was first observed, had worked its way completely through the ice shelf, the researchers report. Calving is the breaking off of large masses of ice from glaciers that end in the sea or in inland waters. The current demolition is therefore the second major calving in this area in the last two years. BAS researchers discovered the growth of such huge cracks in the ice about ten years ago.

1550

Square kilometre is the extent of the affected iceberg.

The scientists were not surprised by the event: “This calving event was expected and is part of the natural behavior of the Brunt Ice Shelf,” explained BAS glaciologist Dominic Hodgson. The incident is also not related to climate change. “There is no evidence that climate change has played a significant role,” Hodgson said.

There is no evidence that climate change has played a significant role.

Dominic Hodgson, British Antarctic Survey (BAS) glaciologist

The experts also see no connection with the rapid calving events on the Larsen C Ice Shelf, which had extensive areas of surface meltwater at the time of its collapse in 2017. The formation of icebergs is a natural process, which, however, can be accelerated considerably by global warming.

Two years ago, an iceberg of a similar size broke off in the region of the Brunt Ice Shelf. The British research station Halley VI is located on the ice shelf, from which glaciologists have been observing the extent of huge cracks in the ice for years. “Our scientific and operational teams continue to monitor the ice shelf in real time to ensure research at Halley can be sustained,” said Hodgson. The area of ​​the ice shelf where the research station is located has remained untouched by the recent calving events.

However, the effects of such terminations are unpredictable. In 2016 the Halley Research Station relocated 14 miles inland as a precaution. It was then that the Chasm 1 Rift had begun to widen. The research station has been unmanned for the past six winters due to the glaciological situation. It is currently summer in Antarctica.

Satellite imagery, ground-penetrating radar and on-site drone footage were critical to providing early warning of changes to the Brunt Ice Shelf. “These data have provided scientific teams with a number of ways to measure the cracks with very high precision,” the BAS said.

In addition, the scientists used computer models and seafloor topography maps to predict how close the ice was to calving. The Brunt Ice Shelf is one of the best monitored ice shelf areas on earth: A network of 16 GPS instruments measures the deformation of the ice and reports it back every hour.

Even if there is apparently no direct connection with climate change for the current event, the warming in Antarctica can be felt strongly. In February 2022, the smallest extent of ice since satellite observations began 44 years ago was recorded there.

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