NASA Discovers Giant Crack in Antarctic Glacier, New Iceberg Size of New York City Forming
Posted on November 5, 2011
While flying over Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier in a DC-8 research plane on October 14, 2011, scientists made a startling discovery. They found a massive crack which spans 18 miles across.
The rift is 260 feet wide on average and is between 165-195 feet deep. This is the creation phase of a new iceberg, that will span 340 square miles after it breaks loose from the glacier.
The scientists are part of NASA's IceBridge mission which maps glaciers in Antarctica. The scientists study the movements and changes in the glacier over time. The information they gather will help scientists understand why the Pine Island Glacier sends so much ice into the ocean and how much that drainage could lead to rising sea levels in the future. The Pine Island Glacer is the primary outlet for the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and is a major source of uncertainty in global sea level rise projections. This is its third annual visit to the area.
IceBridge project scientist Michael Studinger said, "We are actually now witnessing how it happens. It's part of a natural process, but it's pretty exciting to be here and actually observe it while it happens." The AP has video of Michael Studinger talking about this important discovery:
You can see more photos here. You can read more about the IceBridge project here.