The Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica will soon split to form an iceberg that is twice the size of New York. Researchers believe that this could lead to the destabilization of the entire glacier, which again poses a threat to the Halley Science Station. This is reported by Science Alert.
The scientists noted that the large crack, which has remained stable for 35 years, has recently begun to grow rapidly, advancing at a rate of four kilometers a year. In the future, she should meet another crack called Halloween Crack, which appeared at the end of October 2016. The instability of the entire glacier is also facilitated by uneven bedrock that impedes the flow of ice and creates ripples and build-up stress in the ice.
The iceberg is estimated to have an area of 1,700 square kilometers, making it the largest ever to appear in this region of Antarctica. Researchers believe that the future of the shelf depends on where the faults meet. If this happens to the south of the instability site, the entire Brunt Glacier will be vulnerable to collapse. In this case, Halley Station must be moved again.
Halley 6 was officially launched in Antarctica on February 5, 2013. The polar station, consisting of eight modules and designed for many years of operation, is installed on piles with skids, which allows the transport of buildings. The previous five bases were buried under snow and ice or demolished. In 1985, measurements made on the Halley led to the discovery of an ozone hole over Antarctica.