The ice extent is already approaching the second highest level for extent since the measurements began by satellite in 1979 and just a few days into the Southern Hemisphere fall season and 6 months ahead of the peak. In fact the ice is returning so fast, it is running an amazing 60% ahead (4.0 vs 2.5 million square km extent) of last year when it set a new record. Satellite images show the ice has already refrozen around the broken pieces and expanded. No big deal (unless you are standing beneath it).Īnd this winter is coming on quickly.
#ANTARCTIC ICE SHELF BREAKING OFF FULL#
That represents just 2.67% of the full Wilkins ice sheet and 0.01% of the total Antarctic icecover (0.003% of its level last September), a little like an icicle falling from a snow and ice cover roof. Then only a small portion of it around 160 square miles partially disintegrated late this February into early March. A very small piece broke off as an iceberg (37 square miles).
The full Wilkins 6,000 square mile ice shelf is just 0.39% of the current Antarctic ice cover (just 0.1% of the extent last September). Six of these ice shelves have collapsed completely: Prince Gustav Channel, Larsen Inlet, Larsen A, Larsen B, Wordie, Muller and the Jones Ice Shelf. The region where the Wilkins Ice Shelf lies has experienced unprecedented warming in the past 50 years, with several ice shelves retreating in the past 30 years. Scambos alerted colleagues at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) that it looked like the entire ice shelf – about 6,180 square miles (about the size of Northern Ireland)- was at risk of collapsing. Glaciologist Ted Scambos of the University of Colorado was monitoring satellite images of the Wilkins Ice Shelf and spotted a huge iceberg measuring 25 miles by 1.5 miles (37 square miles) that appeared to have broken away from the shelf. Scientists are shocked by the rapid change of events. Vast Antarctic Ice Shelf on Verge of Collapse – Latest Sign of Global Warming’s Impact Shocks ScientistsĪ vast ice shelf hanging on by a thin strip looks to be the next chunk to break off from the Antarctic Peninsula, the latest sign of global warming’s impact on Earth’s southernmost continent. You probably saw it on your favorite network or internet news site (pick one, anyone). This summer when unprecedented anomalous cover continued in the Southern Hemisphere again no coverage. They focused on the north polar regions where the ice set record low levels. Last year when Antarctic set a new record for ice extent, it got no media attention. These images were acquired as part of ESA’s support to the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008, a large worldwide science programme focused on the Arctic and Antarctic. Scientists estimate Larsen-B had been stable since the last ice age 12,000 years ago. Within days of its launch, Envisat captured the disintegration of the Larsen-B ice shelf in Antarctica on 18 March 2002. The images used for this annimation were taken by the ESA’s Envisat satellite. But as the temperature has increased, several ice shelves have broken up and disintegrated. Along the coast the ice gradually floats on the sea – to form massive ledges known as ice shelves. Thousands of years of accumulated and compacted snow on the Antarctic central plateau have formed a mighty ice sheet which flows under gravity towards the coastal plane. However, ice shelves on the Antarctic Peninsula are sandwiched by extraordinarily raising surface air temperatures and a warming ocean, making them important indicators for on-going climate change. Since the ice shelf is already floating, this event will not cause a rise in sea level. The Wilkins Ice Shelf is a broad plate of floating ice south of South America on the Antarctic Peninsula. This strip is already rifted, and the remaining strip is in danger of breaking up as well. As a result of the recent collapse, the remaining shelf, which totals about 14 500 sq km, is now only supported by a 6 km strip of ice. Between February 28 an area of about 400 sq km disintegrated into large and small icebergs within 24 hours. This animation highlights the rapid loss of ice recently on the Wilkins Ice Shelf in Antarctica. If anyone is denial about climate change possibly occuring on Earth, please take a look at this.
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