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OKIsItJustMe

(19,933 posts)
Tue May 2, 2017, 07:39 PM May 2017

Antarctic ice rift spreads -- new branch revealed in latest data from ice shelf

http://www.swansea.ac.uk/media-centre/latest-research/antarcticiceriftspreadsnewbranchrevealedinlatestdatafromiceshelf.php
[font face=Serif][font size=5]Antarctic ice rift spreads – new branch revealed in latest data from ice shelf[/font]

[font size=4]The rift in the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica now has a second branch, which is moving in the direction of the ice front, Swansea University researchers revealed after studying the latest satellite data.[/font]

[font size=3]The main rift in Larsen C, which is likely to lead to one of the largest icebergs ever recorded, is currently 180 km long. The new branch of the rift is 15 km long.

Last year, researchers from the UK's Project Midas, led by Swansea University, reported that the rift was growing fast. Now, just 20km of ice is keeping the 5,000 sq km piece from floating away.


[font size=1]Picture: the current location of the rift on Larsen C, as of May 1 2017. Labels highlight significant jumps. Tip positions are derived from Landsat (USGS) and Sentinel-1 InSAR (ESA) data. Background image blends BEDMAP2 Elevation (BAS) with MODIS MOA2009 Image mosaic (NSIDC). Other data from SCAR ADD and OSM.[/font]



“While the previous rift tip has not advanced, a new branch of the rift has been initiated. This is approximately 10km behind the previous tip, heading towards the ice-front.

This is the first significant change to the rift since February of this year. Although the rift length has been static for several months, it has been steadily widening, at rates in excess of a metre per day.

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