There are many studies that try to discover the impacts and consequences that the thaw is having on the climate and stability of our planet. Thanks to the satellites we can know the movement and the difference in size of the glaciers. The largest iceberg ever seen in history has recently been "born" after its detachment from the Antarctic shelf.
The cleavage of the Larsen C barrier in Antarctica It has allowed scientists an opportunity to learn more about the stability of the platform. Is the thaw causing instability?
The size of the iceberg released in Antarctica is twice the size of that of Luxembourg. Since then, this huge tubular iceberg, named A68, it has been moving away about 5 km from the barrier. The images provided by the satellites show a formation of a group of about 11 smaller icebergs.
Now in Antarctica it is winter and there is hardly any light. The hours of the day are scarce, so in order to study the evolution of the A68 iceberg, infrared satellites must be used.
Attempts are being made to find out if the Larsen C detachment is causing instability in the rest of the Antarctic shelf. As well It is important to understand the stability of the A68 iceberg as it shrinks and drifts.
“If an ice shelf loses contact with elevation, either from continued thinning or calving, it can cause a significant acceleration in ice speed and possibly further destabilization. It seems that the story of Larsen C might not be over yet ”, explained Dr. Hogg in a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
The melting of the ice shelf will hardly cause a significant rise in sea level since the very volume that the iceberg occupies will be replaced by water.