A giant iceberg nearly the size of Greater London has broken off the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica.
The split, which occurred near the UK’s Halley Research Station, was recorded between 7 and 8 p.m. yesterday.
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) relocated the station 23 km inland from what they called Chasm One in 2016 after it began to widen.
He said the calving occurred a decade after scientists first detected the growth of large cracks in the ice.
The new iceberg is estimated to be around 1,550 square kilometers in area and around 150 meters thick.
Photos: Sebastian Gleich/BAS
The BAS glaciologists said the calving was not related to climate change and is part of the natural behavior of the ice shelf.
They said the area of the ice shelf where the research station is located was not affected by the split.
The Halley Research Station. Photo: BAS
Since 2017, personnel have been deployed to the station in limited capacity, only during the Antarctic summer, which runs from November to March.
Currently, there are 21 employees at the station who work to maintain power supplies and facilities for science experiments to run remotely during the winter.
They will continue to work until they are picked up early next month.
Photos: Sebastian Gleich/BAS
Professor Dame Jane Francis, Director of BAS, said: “Our glaciologists and operations teams have been anticipating this event.
“Ice shelf measurements are made multiple times a day using an automated network of high-precision GPS instruments that surround the station.
“They measure how the ice shelf is deforming and moving, and are compared with satellite images from ESA, NASA and the German TerraSAR-X satellite. All the data is sent to Cambridge for analysis, so we know what it happens even in Antarctica. winter: when there are no station personnel, it is dark for 24 hours and the temperature drops below -50 °C (or -58 °F).”
Chasm One in 2016. Photos: BAS
Professor Dominic Hodgson, BAS glaciologist, added: “This calving event was expected and is part of the natural behavior of the Brunt Ice Shelf.
“It is not related to climate change. Our science and operational teams continue to monitor the ice shelf in real time to ensure it is safe and to maintain the delivery of the science we are conducting at Halley.”
A graphic showing where the Brunt Ice Shelf is located in Antarctica. Photo: British Antarctic Survey
It comes after another iceberg, known as A74, calved in February 2021. It has now moved away from the Brunt Ice Shelf towards the Weddell Sea.
