A humongous iceberg the size of Greater London has broken off an Antarctic ice shelf. This is the second such break in around two years, said researchers as they announced the latest event on Monday.

The break happened near the United Kingdom's Antarctic-based Halley Research Station. However, as per glaciologists at the research station, the facility remains unaffected by the event.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;WION Climate Tracker: Iceberg nearly the size of Greater London breaks off from Antarctica ice shelf

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21 members of the staff who are currently at the facility continue to maintain the base and operate its scientific instruments.

As per the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), the chunk measures 1,550 square kilometres or 598 square miles. It detached from the 150-metre-thick Brunt Ice Shelf around a decade after scientists first spotted the crack known as Chasm-1.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-suggest-a-stop-gap-solution-for-refreezing-melting-ice-will-cost-whopping-11-billion-yearly-517822">Scientists suggest a stop-gap solution for 'refreezing' melting ice; will cost whopping $11 billion yearly</a>

Citing the research institute, Reuters reports that the iceberg calved "following years of naturally occurring cracks that finally extended across the shelf and caused the new iceberg to break free".

"This calving event has been expected and is part of the natural behaviour of the Brunt Ice Shelf," said BAS glaciologist Dominic Hodgson. "It is not linked to climate change," he added.

As per Science Alert, in 2016-17, the Halley VI Research Station had to be relocated due to the widening of the Chasm-1. reportedly, at the time cracks started appearing in the ice, and this threatened to cut off the research facility. Since the relocation staff is deployed there during the Antarctic summer months between November and March. The rest of the year, when temperatures fall below minus 50 degrees Celsius (-58 degrees Fahrenheit) and it is dark for 24 hours, they operate remotely.

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Here's an animation of the break-off event:

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🔵 Iceberg at the Brunt Ice Shelf calving <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antarctica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Antarctica</a>🇦🇶 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Copernicus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Copernicus</a>🇪🇺 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sentinel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sentinel</a>-3🛰️ 22 + 24 Jan 2023 Full-size ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/hsIfkhCvye">https://t.co/hsIfkhCvye</a> + <a href="https://t.co/zKVKPeS0cz">https://t.co/zKVKPeS0cz</a> Images are about 144 km wide <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/scicomm?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#scicomm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OpenData?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OpenData</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RemoteSensing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RemoteSensing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BruntIceShelf?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BruntIceShelf</a> ▶️ Still images in previous tweet 2/2 <a href="https://t.co/GgZUyM9AEE">pic.twitter.com/GgZUyM9AEE</a>
— Pierre Markuse (@Pierre_Markuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pierre_Markuse/status/1617880888192438278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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"Calving" is a natural process in which ice chunks from the edge of a glacier break off and are discharged into the ocean.

This is the second major calving incident in two years. Previously in May 2021, an iceberg four times the size of Abu Dhabi broke off from the Ronne Ice Shelf and fell into the ocean in Antarctica.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A humongous iceberg the size of Greater London has broken off an Antarctic ice shelf. This is the second such break in around two years, said researchers as they announced the latest event on Monday.

A humongous iceberg the size of Greater London has broken off an Antarctic ice shelf. This is the second such break in around two years, said researchers as they announced the latest event on Monday. The break happened near the United Kingdom's Antarctic-based Halley Research Station. However, as per glaciologists at the research station, the facility remains unaffected by the event. Watch | WION Climate Tracker: Iceberg nearly the size of Greater London breaks off from Antarctica ice shelf 21 members of the staff who are currently at the facility continue to maintain the base and operate its scientific instruments. As per the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), the chunk measures 1,550 square kilometres or 598 square miles. It detached from the 150-metre-thick Brunt Ice Shelf around a decade after scientists first spotted the crack known as Chasm-1. Also read | Scientists suggest a stop-gap solution for 'refreezing' melting ice; will cost whopping $11 billion yearly Citing the research institute, Reuters reports that the iceberg calved "following years of naturally occurring cracks that finally extended across the shelf and caused the new iceberg to break free". "This calving event has been expected and is part of the natural behaviour of the Brunt Ice Shelf," said BAS glaciologist Dominic Hodgson. "It is not linked to climate change," he added. As per Science Alert, in 2016-17, the Halley VI Research Station had to be relocated due to the widening of the Chasm-1. reportedly, at the time cracks started appearing in the ice, and this threatened to cut off the research facility. Since the relocation staff is deployed there during the Antarctic summer months between November and March. The rest of the year, when temperatures fall below minus 50 degrees Celsius (-58 degrees Fahrenheit) and it is dark for 24 hours, they operate remotely. Also read | Climate change is causing tonnes of frozen bacteria to enter water, says study Here's an animation of the break-off event: 🔵 Iceberg at the Brunt Ice Shelf calving #Antarctica🇦🇶 #Copernicus🇪🇺 #Sentinel-3🛰️ 22 + 24 Jan 2023 Full-size ➡️ https://t.co/hsIfkhCvye + https://t.co/zKVKPeS0cz Images are about 144 km wide #scicomm #OpenData #RemoteSensing #BruntIceShelf ▶️ Still images in previous tweet 2/2 pic.twitter.com/GgZUyM9AEE — Pierre Markuse (@Pierre_Markuse) January 24, 2023 × "Calving" is a natural process in which ice chunks from the edge of a glacier break off and are discharged into the ocean. This is the second major calving incident in two years. Previously in May 2021, an iceberg four times the size of Abu Dhabi broke off from the Ronne Ice Shelf and fell into the ocean in Antarctica. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Greater London-sized' 1,550 sq km iceberg breaks off of Antarctic ice shelf. Watch!

A crack that could create an iceberg the size of Delaware -- and destabilise one of the largest ice shelves in the Antarctic -- has branched out and begun to widen more quickly, a scientist said on Wednesday.

The new fissure has turned toward the shelf&#39;s ocean edge, potentially speeding up the iceberg&#39;s process of breaking off, said Dan McGrath, a geophysicist with the US&nbsp;Geological Survey and a project partner with UK-based monitoring group Project Midas, which reported on the new crack on Monday.

&quot;It&rsquo;s taking basically a sharp hook toward the calving front,&quot; said McGrath, using a technical term to describe the ocean side of the ice shelf.

It is reasonable to link the event and the shrinking ice shelves in Antarctica to global warming, Richard Alley, a glaciologist at Penn State University who is not connected with the project.

An overwhelming majority of scientists say human activity - including the burning of oil, gas and coal - is the main driver of rising global temperatures.

Located on the Larsen C ice shelf, the fourth largest in Antarctica, the new Antarctica crack is an offshoot of a rupture that gained notice after growing dramatically in 2014, and last year was forecast to cause the separation of a 1,900-square-mile (5,000-square-kilometer) iceberg within years.

For comparison, the projected size of the iceberg is more than 300,000 times the size of the 125-meter (410-foot) iceberg that sunk the Titanic, putting it among the largest on record.

While not getting longer, the original crack has continued to widen steadily, at a rate of about 3 feet (1 meter) per day, a rate that has increased since the new crack formed, according to the Midas report.

McGrath, who has studied the shelf extensively, said the combination of the new crack and the faster widening could point to an imminent separation of the berg, even as soon as this summer.

The loss of so much ice would shrink the shelf by about 10 percent, leaving it with the smallest area ever recorded.

Scientists from the group also warned in 2015 that the loss of such a large mass of ice would create a &quot;significant risk&quot; of the shelf as a whole becoming unstable and breaking up, although McGrath cautioned the outcome is not guaranteed.

(Reuters)

The new fissure has turned toward the shelf's ocean edge, potentially speeding up the iceberg's process of breaking off, said Dan McGrath

A crack that could create an iceberg the size of Delaware -- and destabilise one of the largest ice shelves in the Antarctic -- has branched out and begun to widen more quickly, a scientist said on Wednesday. The new fissure has turned toward the shelf's ocean edge, potentially speeding up the iceberg's process of breaking off, said Dan McGrath, a geophysicist with the US Geological Survey and a project partner with UK-based monitoring group Project Midas, which reported on the new crack on Monday. "It’s taking basically a sharp hook toward the calving front," said McGrath, using a technical term to describe the ocean side of the ice shelf. It is reasonable to link the event and the shrinking ice shelves in Antarctica to global warming, Richard Alley, a glaciologist at Penn State University who is not connected with the project. An overwhelming majority of scientists say human activity - including the burning of oil, gas and coal - is the main driver of rising global temperatures. Located on the Larsen C ice shelf, the fourth largest in Antarctica, the new Antarctica crack is an offshoot of a rupture that gained notice after growing dramatically in 2014, and last year was forecast to cause the separation of a 1,900-square-mile (5,000-square-kilometer) iceberg within years. For comparison, the projected size of the iceberg is more than 300,000 times the size of the 125-meter (410-foot) iceberg that sunk the Titanic, putting it among the largest on record. While not getting longer, the original crack has continued to widen steadily, at a rate of about 3 feet (1 meter) per day, a rate that has increased since the new crack formed, according to the Midas report. McGrath, who has studied the shelf extensively, said the combination of the new crack and the faster widening could point to an imminent separation of the berg, even as soon as this summer. The loss of so much ice would shrink the shelf by about 10 percent, leaving it with the smallest area ever recorded. Scientists from the group also warned in 2015 that the loss of such a large mass of ice would create a "significant risk" of the shelf as a whole becoming unstable and breaking up, although McGrath cautioned the outcome is not guaranteed. (Reuters)

Growing Antarctic crack primes Delaware-sized iceberg

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'Greater London-sized' 1,550 sq km iceberg breaks off of Antarctic ice shelf. Watch!

Growing Antarctic crack primes Delaware-sized iceberg