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from the should-start-a-lottery-on-when-it-finally-calves dept.
As the Larsen C ice shelf moves closer to calving one of the largest icebergs on record, there are clear signs of changes in the part of the shelf which is about to calve. In late June 2017, the soon-to-be iceberg tripled in speed, producing the fastest flow speeds ever recorded on Larsen C, and seemed to be on the verge of breaking free.
The latest data from 6th July reveal that, in a release of built-up stresses, the rift branched several times. Using data from ESA’s Sentinel-1 satellites, we can see that there are multiple rift tips now within 5 km of the ice edge. We expect that these rifts will lead to the formation of several smaller icebergs, as well as the large iceberg which we estimate will have an area of 5,800 sq km. Despite this, the iceberg remains attached to the shelf by a thin band of ice. It is remarkable how the moment of calving is still keeping us waiting.
http://www.projectmidas.org/blog/multiple-branches/
There is a nice animation showing the rift growth since just last year: http://www.projectmidas.org/assets/rift_insar_animation_july.gif
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 09 2017, @11:59AM (1 child)
that someone gets paid to write about how they are waiting for an iceberg to break off.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 09 2017, @12:10PM
Not just any iceberg, but one the size of small US state.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 09 2017, @02:11PM (1 child)
Although events like this are probably unrelated to climate change, they can still serve as important reminders that climate change is happening.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Sunday July 09 2017, @06:05PM
I don't think it's fair to say that they are unrelated to climate change. It *is* fair to say that no direct link can be established to any particular event. But temperature of the ice affects the speed with which the glacier (on land) moves, and so does any subsurface melt...which is affected by the general temperature of the air which is affected by global warming. (Actually by any climate change, but the Arctic and Antarctic regions are warming during the current change.)
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 09 2017, @02:26PM
That seems like a lot of mass moving about on the Earth's surface.
I wonder if there is any way to measure a wobble in the Earth's rotation as a result of this movement?
(Score: 2) by inertnet on Sunday July 09 2017, @05:32PM (2 children)
Is there a tsunami risk involved?
(Score: 3, Informative) by bradley13 on Sunday July 09 2017, @05:43PM (1 child)
No, no tsunami risk. No change in sea level. This is sea ice, meaning that it is floating on the ocean, so there will be no change in water displacement when it moves.
While spectacularly large, thus is basically a normal event for an ice shelf. It will be interesting to see if / how fast /in which direction it drifts.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday July 10 2017, @01:18PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves