Iceberg nearly twice the size of Rhode Island breaks off Antarctica

Iceberg nearly twice the size of Rhode Island breaks off Antarctica (Source Yahoo) A large portion of an ice shelf that was  HYPERLINK “https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/02/giant-antarctic-iceberg-hanging-by-a-thread-say-scientists” said to be “hanging by a thread” last month has broken off from the Antarctic mainland, creating one of the world’s largest icebergs, according to a Wednesday report by British Antarctic research group Project Midas. The iceberg, which is estimated to have separated from the Larsen C ice shelf between Monday and Wednesday, will be named A68. It weighs 1 trillion tons and contains twice the volume of water held in Lake Erie, the report said. It is measured at 5,800 square kilometers, making it nearly twice the size of Rhode Island. The ice shelf’s calving has been expected for some time. Project Midas wrote that it was “watching with bated breath” after the rift separating the iceberg from the main shelf  HYPERLINK “https://www.yahoo.com/news/massive-crack-antarctic-ice-shelf-grows-11-miles-6-days-potentially-creating-worlds-largest-iceberg-215808971.html” grew 11 miles in six days in late May. At the time, Adrian Luckman, lead investigator of Project Midas, wrote that the separation of the ice shelf would “fundamentally change the landscape of the Antarctic Peninsula.” The initial rift branched off several times, but only one iceberg can be seen at this time, Luckman  HYPERLINK “https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/12/giant-antarctic-iceberg-breaks-free-of-larsen-c-ice-shelf” told the Guardian.

 

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