Tag: Antarctica

Iceberg the size of 2000 square miles to break off from Antarctica

#Iceberg #globalwarming #climatechange #Antarctica #melting #LarsenC #ParisClimatePact

An iceberg in the Larsen C ice shelf is very close to breaking from the ice shelf. The iceberg has a size of around 2000 square miles, which is 0.035% of Antarctica. There won’t be any change in sea level after it’s breakage since the iceberg is already afloat.

The crack between the iceberg and rest of Larsen C shelf grew a stunning 11 miles in just 7 days, from May 25 to May 31. Only 8 more miles is left before the iceberg is completed separated from the ice shelf.

It was also noted that the crack has curved towards the front of the ice shelf and the ocean, meaning that the time when a major break could occur is probably very close.

Read the full article here

So global warming/climate change impacts are small at present, but if the same continues, we will have a disaster at our hand.

Mesmerizing footage beneath Antarctica!

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) was retrieving a data recorder from O’Brien Bay, near the Casey Research Station in East Antarctica when they made their discovery. The group used a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to send a camera and a light down to record the job.

The researchers found that beneath the 1.5 meters thick sheet of white ice and snow, there is a colorful world of sea creatures consisting of algae, urchins, starfish, worms and sponges. The ‘underwater world’ is 30 meters deep. Here is a gif of the recorded video. The two different worlds, the top one that can be seen is covered with white ice and just beneath that thick ice is this underwater world which is brightly colored, are at stark contrast.

The AAD is studying the effects of acidification on sea-floor communities as a result of carbon dioxide emissions. Read the full article here.