British geophysicists have recorded a sharp crack growth on the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica. From March to August 2016, its length increased by 22 kilometers. This is reported by Mashable.
During 2016, the crack grew faster than in the same periods of previous observations. Further propagation of deformations will lead to the breakaway of ten percent of the largest section of the glacier.
In this case, a huge iceberg with an area of about six thousand square kilometers will fall into the water - an area comparable to Scotland. Scientists have refused to predict the exact date of this event. The degradation of the shelf is caused by global warming.
Larsen is the northernmost of the remaining large glaciers in Antarctica. Several scientists are observing its destruction. In particular, the MIDAS team has been monitoring the shelf since 2011. In 2002, part of the Larsen B glacier was destroyed, in area comparable to the territory of the American island of Long Island.
