The satellite image released by the European Space Agency shows a section of the iceberg breaking away. The 1 trillion tonne iceberg, measuring 5800 square kilometres, calved away from the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica sometime between July 10 and 12, said scientists at the University of Swansea and the British Antarctic Survey. Throughout the Antarctic winter, scientists monitored the progress of the rift in the ice shelf using the European Space Agency satellites. In 2009, more than 150 passengers and crew were evacuated after the MTV Explorer sank after striking an iceberg off the Antarctic peninsula. "If Larsen C now starts to retreat significantly and eventually collapses, then we will see another contribution to sea level rise."

Source: Otago Daily Times July 13, 2017 02:15 UTC