Nansen Ice-Shelf
In 2013, geologists determined that the Nansen Ice Shelf (30 miles/50 km. long and 20 miles/35 km. across) had a giant fissure in it. Since then it’s grown and they now believe the ice-shelf is going to break away and float freely on its own.
When it does break away geologists say it will float into the Terra Nova Bay in the Southern Ocean. Geologists Christine Dow and Ryan Walker flew over the ice-shelf as recently as last December and they said the crack in it they saw was significant so it’s only a matter of time until it breaks off.
“There’s a huge crack, miles long and sometimes over a hundred yards wide,” Walker wrote on his blog. “Which runs more or less parallel to the front of the ice shelf.
“Over the winter, the sea surface freezes and traps small icebergs in the crack,” he added. “Producing a fascinatingly broken ice cape.”
Biggest Iceberg
Climate change or not giant icebergs happen along. In 2000 the largest recorded, the B-15T ice-shelf, broke away from the Antarctic; it measured 183 miles (295 km) long and 23 miles (37 km) across.
It has since broken into smaller chunks but much of it remains out there intact, floating about.
With modern day radar technology the chances of another Titanic-like accident happening are very slim. Even without modern technology it would be rather hard for any sea going vessel to miss an iceberg that all of Manhattan could comfortably fit upon.
Dow and Walker said the ice-shelf is likely to break away and become a massive iceberg within a few years.
