Antarctic Wilkins Ice Shelf Collapse

Satellite imagery from the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder reveals that a 13,680 square kilometer (5,282 square mile) ice shelf has begun to collapse because of rapid climate change in a fast-warming region of Antarctica.

British Antarctic Survey has captured dramatic satellite and video images of an Antarctic ice shelf that looks set to be the latest to break out from the Antarctic Peninsula. A large part of the Wilkins Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula is now supported only by a thin strip of ice hanging between two islands. It is another identifiable impact of climate change on the Antarctic environment.

Scientists monitoring satellite images of the Wilkins Ice Shelf spotted that a huge (41 by 2.5 km) km2 berg the size of the Isle of Man appears to have broken away in recent days -- it is still on the move.

Glaciologist Ted Scambos from the University of Colorado alerted colleagues Professor David Vaughan and Andrew Fleming of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) that the ice shelf looked at risk. After checking daily satellite pictures, BAS sent a Twin Otter aircraft on a reconnaissance mission to check out the extent of the breakout.

Jim Elliott was onboard the BAS Twin Otter to capture video of the breakout for Vaughan and colleagues. He says,

"I've never seen anything like this before -- it was awesome. We flew along the main crack and observed the sheer scale of movement from the breakage. Big hefty chunks of ice, the size of small houses, look as though they've been thrown around like rubble -- it's like an explosion."

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• antarctica
• iceshelf
• climate
• change
• environment
• ice
• melting

[hellobil]

Glaciers in both poles retreat and extend periodically, there is nothing special. It is just that, in the old days we don't have the satellite, so we didn't see it with our eyes. I honestly think that Global warming is just a hunch, which is biased towards some politican's own agenda.

[LPF767]

Yes, global warming is real HOWEVER our beautiful Earth has gone through these changes at least 5 times before in her entire history. Earth always sheds her "skin" every so many thousands of years. This is really nothing new, only that we are alive right now to witness it.

Stunning images, by the way, very well done!

[hellobil]

@nordicmuscle Yes you are right, and yet global warming and cooling were happening all the time.... so what makes people believe that it is causing by us?

[nordicmuscle]

@hellobil In the old days (100 years ago) the world didn't have 6 billion people....

In the old days there were no cars, refrigerators, airco's, dryers 6 billion houses to cool and heat, 6 billion cows to feed the crowds... Think about it!

[Castorios]

@DragonRoLo I agree...

it's been raining all week here in MONTREAL, CANADA...

In mid-winter this is NOT NORMAL, I have never ever seen it (past 15 years) this hot !

[Artsev]

@defc0n005 Carbon Based Lifeforms - Betula Pendula

[DragonRoLo]

@LPF767 our pollution is contributing to global warming halting the next ice age people are dam naive if they think all that extra co2 and other gasses are not contributing.

hell its January and +5 our rather then -20 like it should be and we had record rainfall last year around the world I don't mind the warmer weather at all if only we cool loos the toxicity.

[cathlic2007]

they say if Antarctica warms up we will die.

[MrSokitumi0007]

Yeah thems some mighty natural looking 90 deg angle cuts there hmm a C130 and that new lazer they got mounted on it anyone )o,,,

[NitroxideHS]

Looks like its clean cut. Then it must have been god that did it with a butter knife. x)

[icecreaman805]

damn nature you.....beautifull

[hellobil]

@sdmessenger10 Do you know that Ice Cap on Planet Mars is also melting? Global warming is just a natural phenomenon. Don’t over estimate human’s influence, if nature has to wipe you out, then nothing you can do. Return to Paleo living so to minimize your carbon foot print is a wishful thinking, it is somewhat naive. IPCC ‘s proposition is only there to make some entrepreneur rich, and to suppress the progress in 3rd world countries.