ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Space → Astronomy

NASA satellite spots mile-long iceberg breaking off from Antarctic glacier

NASA's satellites witnessed the dramatic breaking of the iceberg.

Dragos MitricabyDragos Mitrica
February 21, 2017
in Astronomy, News, Remote sensing
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

Despite Trump, 7,400 cities vow to meet climate committments
Cutting Beef Production by Just 13% Could Absorb Billions of Tons of CO2
Climate change in the Arctic is destroying Viking artifacts
Climate pledges of oil giants are still insufficient and they should step up their game

NASA’s satellites witnessed the dramatic breaking of the iceberg. The icy surface first cracked and then, a mile-long chunk of ice ripped apart.

Pine Island Glacier shedding a block of ice the size of Manhattan in January CREDIT: MODIS/NASA

The immense Pine Island Glacier is known for its instability, but we’ve rarely witnessed something happening at this scale. Calving is not uncommon, and the glacier amounts for 20 percent of the ice sheet’s total ice flow to the ocean, according to NASA scientists. Especially in recent years, the ice has been constantly retreating, giving way to the liquid water.

The Earth-watching Landsat satellite (you know, the type some US politicians want to retire because ‘NASA shouldn’t be watching the Earth‘) captured the event unfolding in all its glory.

The glacier’s last major iceberg break took place back in July 2015, when an iceberg measuring almost 225 square miles separated. Though this event is much smaller than the one from 2015, it’s yet another proof of the glacier’s instability in the face of climate change.

“I think this event is the calving equivalent of an ‘aftershock’ following the much bigger event,” Ian Howat, a glaciologist at The Ohio State University, said in a statement. “Apparently, there are weaknesses in the ice shelf — just inland of the rift that caused the 2015 calving — that are resulting in these smaller breaks.”

More calving is expected in the near future, and even more calving might be taking place without us knowing it. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet might completely collapse in the next 100 years. In the meantime, we’ll see more and more chunks breaking apart and melting.

Yet again, this shows just how vital Earth monitoring is. If we want to truly understand and tackle processes taking place at such scales, the importance of Landsat-like missions cannot be overstated.

Tags: calvingclimate changeiceberg

ShareTweetShare
Dragos Mitrica

Dragos Mitrica

Dragos has been working in geology for six years, and loving every minute of it. Now, his more recent focus is on paleoclimate and climatic evolution, though in his spare time, he also dedicates a lot of time to chaos theory and complex systems.

Related Posts

Climate

Deadly Heatwave Killed 2,300 in Europe, and 1,500 of those were due to climate change

byMihai Andrei
1 week ago
Climate

Climate Change Unleashed a Hidden Wave That Triggered a Planetary Tremor

byMihai Andrei
1 month ago
Champiñón Hongos Naturaleza Setas Reino Fungi
Animal facts

What do Fungi, Chameleons, and Humans All Have in Common? We’re all Heterotrophs

byShiella Olimpos
2 months ago
Climate

Climate Change Is Rewriting America’s Gardening Map and Some Plants Can’t Keep Up

byGrace van Deelen
2 months ago

Recent news

The Race to the Bottom: Japan Is Set to Start Testing Deep-Sea Mining

July 18, 2025

Japan Just Smashed the Internet Speed World Record and It Could Revolutionize the Internet

July 18, 2025

Scientists Call for a Global Pause on Creating “Mirror Life” Before It’s Too Late: “The threat we’re talking about is unprecedented”

July 18, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.