Pine Island Glacier Sheds Manhattan-Sized Iceberg; Fastest Grounding Line Retreat On Continent
The growing crack in the Larsen C ice shelf is the most dramatic example of change in Antarctica right now. But it isnt the continents only frozen feature changing in a warming world. Ice around the continent is disappearing as the air and water heat up and the less dramatic breakdowns are just as important to understanding the fate of the ice and the worlds coastal areas.
The Pine Island Glacier on the coast of West Antarctica is a case in point. A massive iceberg roughly 225 square miles in size or in more familiar terms, 10 times the size of Manhattan broke off in July 2015. Scientists subsequently spotted cracks in the glacier on a November 2016 flyover. And in January, another iceberg cleaved off the glacier.
Satellite imagery captured the most recent calving event, which Ohio State glaciologist Ian Howat said is the equivalent of an aftershock following the July 2015 event. The iceberg was only the size of Manhattan, underscoring just how dramatic the other breakups have been.
The ocean under Pine Island Glaciers ice shelf has warmed about 1°F since the 1990s. Thats causing the ice shelf to melt and pushing the grounding line the point where the ice begins to float back toward land, creating further instability. Since 1992, Pine Island and some of its glacial brethren in West Antarctica have seen the fastest grounding line retreat of any glaciers on the continent.
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http://www.climatecentral.org/news/antarctica-iceberg-climate-21167