Massive iceberg in Antarctica breaks off in third major calving in last four years

A massive iceberg measuring380 square kilometresbroke off the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarcticalast week.A report by the European Space Agency on May 23 said that this was the region's third significant iceberg calving in the past four years.

Thefirst such event was reportedin 2021, whenA-74broke off the ice sheet, while an evenlargerberg namedA-81followed in 2023, the report said.The separation of this iceberg was captured by two Earth Observation satellites – the ESA's Copernicus Sentinel-1 and NASA's Landsat 8.

How was the May 20 event caused?

The May 20 calving event, just like its predecessors,was causedby the weakening of the ice at the McDonald Ice Rumples and the extension of the 'Halloween Crack' into the ice shelf.

"This calving event results from a prolonged weakening of the ice at the McDonald Ice Rumples and progressive eastward extension of the so-called ‘Halloween Crack’ into the ice shelf," the report added.

The routine monitoring ofice shelves by satellites allows scientists to track the effects of climate change in remote areas, includingAntarctica.

Iceberg identified as A-83

​The iceberg has been officially identified as A-83 by the US National Ice Center. Antarctic icebergs are named after the Antarctic quadrant in which theywere originally sighted, then a sequential number, and then, in casethe iceberg breaks, a sequential letter, the ESA added.

The iceberg did not threatenthe British Antarctic Survey's Halley VI Research Station. The station, whichis still locatedon the Brunt Ice Shelf, was relocatedto the Caird coast in 2017 afterthe outer ice shelf was deemed unstable.

(With inputs from agencies)