NewsDude

A chunk of ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula is hanging by a thin strip of ice between two islands. Scientists said it is another identifiable impact of climate change on the Antarctic environment, and they blamed global warming.
British Antarctic Survey scientists monitoring satellite images of the Wilkins Ice Shelf spotted an iceberg seven times the size of Manhattan that appears to have broken away in recent days, and is still on the move.
"Wilkins is the largest ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula yet to be threatened. I didn't expect to see things happen this quickly. The ice shelf is hanging by a thread -- we'll know in the next few days or weeks what its fate will be," said Professor David Vaughan of the survey. In 1993, Vaughn predicted the northern part of the Wilkins shelf was likely to be lost within 30 years if climate warming on the Peninsula continued at the same rate.
Chunks the Size of Houses
Jim Elliott, who was onboard the BAS Twin Otter to capture video of the breakout for Vaughan and colleagues, said he's never seen anything like it before. He flew along the crack and observed the sheer scale of movement from the breakage. "Big hefty chunks of ice, the size of small houses, look as though they've been thrown around like rubble -- it's like an explosion," Elliot said.
The breakout is the latest drama in a region of Antarctica that has experienced unprecedented warming over the last 50 years. Several ice shelves have retreated in the past 30 years -- six of them collapsing completely, including Prince Gustav Channel, Larsen Inlet, Larsen A, Larsen B, Wordie, Muller and the Jones Ice Shelf.
"Climate warming in the Antarctic Peninsula has pushed the limit of viability for ice shelves further south -- setting some of...

More...