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Colossal (and Growing) Crack in Antarctic Ice Shelf Seen in New Video
By Jeanna Bryner, Live Science Managing Editor | February 23, 2017 11:54am ET
- video -
A giant crack that could release a chunk of ice larger than the state of Rhode Island into the sea was captured in stunning detail in new video footage of Antarctica's Larsen C Ice Shelf.
The stunning overhead video shows a lengthy and wide gash in the never-ending white of the ice shelf, a rift estimated to have grown to nearly 109 miles (175 kilometers) long, based on satellite data released in January. The rift is about 1,500 feet (460 meters) wide.
Scientists estimate it could take just months for that huge iceberg to break off the shelf. [Images of Melt: Earth's Vanishing Ice]
"Although the event could occur anywhere from days to years, the iceberg is likely to break free within the next few months simply because the leverage of 175 km [109 miles] of iceberg on [around] 20 km [12 miles] of what remains connected to the ice shelf is overwhelming," MIDAS scientists wrote in a blog post on Feb. 6. "We are watching with bated breath."
More:
http://www.livescience.com/57990-crack-in-antarctic-ice-shelf-stunning-video.html?utm_source=notification