Alarm in Antarctica: an iceberg that is 15 times the size of Paris broke off

A huge iceberg, more than 15 times the size of the city of Paris

, broke off from Antarctica according to the announcement by British scientists, who attributed global warming, according to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). 

The 1,550-square-kilometre block of ice broke off the white continent on Sunday during a high tide

of such magnitude that it widened an existing crack in the ice, called Chasm-1, the research organization specified.

Two years ago, an iceberg of almost identical size, called Brunt Barrier

, had already formed in the same area, and on which the British research station Halley VI is located.

Icebergs have natural detachment processes.

The strange situation of the glacier detached from Antarctica

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) stated that the formation of the new iceberg - in a natural process called "calving" -

.

The iceberg broke off the 150-meter-thick Brunt Ice Shelf a decade after scientists first detected huge cracks in the shelf.

A similar spectacular breakup occurred about a year ago, involving an iceberg measuring 1,270 square kilometres.

Iceberg in Antarctica.

Their detachments are to be expected.

Photo: ESA

BAS glaciologist Dominic Hodgson explained that "

That's why it's not related to climate change."

Britain's Halley VI research station monitors the condition of the vast floating ice shelf daily, but it has not been affected by the latest breakup.

The British stations that study icebergs in Antarctica

Glaciologists, present at the site from November to March, have been watching the progression of large fissures in the ice for ten years.

The BAS Halley Research Station is located on the Brunt Ice Shelf.

There, the BAS glaciologists, who have been observing the behavior of the ice shelf,

Extreme weather conditions damage Icebergs over the years.

The glaciological structure of the Brunt Ice Shelf is complex, and the impact of calving events is unpredictable

. 

Since 2017, personnel have been deployed to the station only during the Antarctic summer, that is, between November and March.

Currently, 21 staff members are at the station working to maintain power supplies and the facilities that keep science experiments running remotely through the winter.

Their work will continue until they are picked up by plane around February 6.

Photo/AFP

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