The crack in the Brant Ice Shelf, which has been calm for the past 35 years, has recently begun to widen. It grows northward at a speed of 4 kilometers per year.
Iceberg, whose area will be approximately equal to two New Yorks, may soon separate from the shelf.
Research
NASA space scientists regularly monitor crack growth.
A satellite photograph of this point of Antarctica was recently published.
A crack passing through the shelf is clearly visible on it.
Towards each other
This furrow grows in the direction of another, similar to it. The latter was named after Halloween. The distance between these two lines is three miles. Halloween crack was first seen in 2016. It is constantly growing eastward. When the two furrows intersect, and this happens in the coming days or weeks, most likely, an iceberg of 660 square kilometers will separate from the ice massif.
Effects
Scientists cannot say exactly what changes this process will cause in the state of Brant’s Ice Shelf.
“In the worst case scenario, this will violate the integrity of the entire shelf, which could lead to its complete disappearance, ” says Dominic Hodgson, chief specialist of the British Antarctic Service. Perhaps this will lead to faster ice and higher water levels. ”
The new iceberg will be the largest of Brant's Ice Breakers in the last hundred years. But, in comparison with other similar entities, it will still be considered small. NASA experts say that this "newborn" iceberg will not be included in the list of twenty largest. The giant, one of the first in the ranking, broke away from the Larsen Antarctic Ice Shelf in 2017. Its area is 2, 200 square miles.
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The future of the Antarctic station
Icebergs are a common occurrence for ice shelves. Scientists say that these processes cause climate change. In recent decades, cases of separation of such blocks have become more frequent several times at many points in Antarctica. Often whole loops disappear from the card. Hodgson argues that this is mainly due to the warming of water in the ocean and the atmosphere in the region. The ice begins to melt both above and below.
This circumstance can have serious consequences for scientists working in Antarctica, including researchers from the British Service. These specialists have a station on Brant’s Ice Shelf. This object is indispensable in terms of geological, atmospheric and space research. The station is open all year. However, lately it has been closed twice due to the unsatisfactory state of ice.
