An iceberg bigger than the size of Prince Edward Island split off from an ice shelf in the Antarctic sometime between July 10 and 12, CTV News announced on Wednesday. British scientists announced the 1- trillion-tonne ice piece is one of the biggest icebergs to separate from the Antarctic.
The rift had been observed over the last year until the recent full separation. The calving of the iceberg, dubbed Larsen C, was discovered in images from NASA.
According to scientists from Swansea and Aberystwyth universities in Wales, the iceberg will not have any immediate effect on the sea level, since it was floating before it broke off.
Scientists say the calving could possibly destabilize the entire ice shelf. At the moment, the ice shelves support the grounded ice behind them. In the event they collapse, the ice behind them would accelerate toward the ocean, causing the sea level to rise.
According to Professor Adrian Luckman, the lead investigator of project MIDAS (Impact of Melt on Ice Shelf Dynamics and Stability), the ice shelf could either slowly regrow or continue to break apart into smaller pieces, which could lead to a collapse and subsequent rise in sea level. The scientific community is divided about predictions on what could happen.
“Our models say it will be less stable, but any future collapse remains years or decades away,”, Professor Luckman added.
The iceberg itself, Luckman says, could either remain in one piece or in the more likely event break off into smaller chunks. Parts of the ice might stay in the area for decades, while other pieces could move into warmer waters and melt.
Learn more about the calving of the iceberg here.