An iceberg twice the size of New York City is about to break off of Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf, according to NASA.
“Cracking across Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf is set to release an iceberg w/ an area about 2x the size of NYC. The splitting could result in an uncertain future for the shelf’s scientific research & human presence,” NASA said in a tweet.
NASA said in a statement that there are cracks growing across the ice shelf that were first observed in October 2016. It’s not clear how the ice shelf will fare following the iceberg break, according to NASA.{mosads}
According to NASA, the iceberg may become the largest to break from the ice shelf since observations began in 1915. It’s possible the ice shelf could become unstable following the break.
Joe MacGregor, a glaciologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said in the statement that the “near-term future” of the ice shelf “likely depends on where the existing rifts merge relative to the McDonald Ice Rumples,” another area on the ice shelf.
“If they merge upstream (south) of the McDonald Ice Rumples, then it’s possible that the ice shelf will be destabilize,” MacGregor added.