Ice shelf in Antarctica is bursting at the seams

According to scientists, is split on the Antarctic shelf will soon create one of the largest ever recorded, icebergs. For the last 6 days, the rift in the ice shelf "Larsen" grew by 17 km (10.5 miles). It is now 13 km (8 miles) from the edge of the ice.

Until recently, a schism took place parallel to the edge of the ice shelf, but now the direction has changed. "It seems that the rift tip is significantly turned to the ice front, indicates that the margin is probably very close," said Adrian Luckman, senior researcher of the British research group Project MIDAS.

Iceberg will be one of the largest, approximately 5 thousand square kilometers - roughly the size of Delaware. "When iserg will break away the shelf "Larsen C" will lose more than 10% of its area," wrote Luckman on the web site of the project MIDAS in January. "This event will radically change the landscape of the Antarctic Peninsula".

Poul Christoffersen from the Polar research Institute Scott of the University of Cambridge said he is concerned that changing the direction of the rift and the maximum size of the iceberg can lead to disintegration of the entire ice shelf.

Although the thaw is a natural phenomenon, Paul said that climate change contributes to this process. Atkinson explained that when the atmosphere warms, the ice surface accumulates more water. Icy floors also become thinner as the oceans around Antarctica absorb heat from the atmosphere. These factors can accelerate the development of cracks and make it less likely that the ice lost during the formation of icebergs will increase, he said.
"We need to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions, in order not to destabilize the large ice shelves," said Christoffersen.

sections: Society, World News