Iceberg larger than NYC breaks off Antarctica

A massive iceberg broke off Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf, British researchers announced.

At 490 square miles, the iceberg is bigger than New York City, which is 302 square miles.

A crack in the ice shelf widened several hundred yards Friday before the iceberg sheared off. The last major chunk to come off in this area was in the early 1970s, the BBC said.

The event wasn’t a surprise.

“Our teams at the British Antarctic Survey have been prepared for the calving of an iceberg from Brunt Ice Shelf for years,” BAS director Jane Francis said in a statement.

The British Antarctic Survey’s Halley Research Station is on the Brunt Ice Shelf. Glaciologists said the research station is unlikely to be affected by the calving event, which is what the breaking process is called.

The 12-person team working at the station left in mid-February, and the station is closed for the Antarctic winter.

“This is a dynamic situation,” Simon Garrod, director of operations at the British Antarctic Survey, said in a statement. “Four years ago, we moved Halley Research Station inland to ensure that it would not be carried away when an iceberg eventually formed. That was a wise decision. Our job now is to keep a close eye on the situation and assess any potential impact of the present calving on the remaining ice shelf.”

Ice shelves are floating sheets connected to a landmass, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Because the ice is already floating, the newly created iceberg won’t contribute to rising sea levels.

The glaciological structure of this floating ice shelf is complex, the British Antarctic Survey said, and the impact of calving events is unpredictable.

There is no evidence climate change played a significant role in this event, the BAS said. Calving is an entirely natural process wherever ice flowing on the land meets the ocean or large lakes.

Editor’s note: Columnist Karina Bland is on assignment. Her column returns later this week.