iceberg | Common News Update

Feb272021 by adminNo Comments

Brunt Ice Shelf: Big iceberg calves near UK Antarctic base

Science

A big iceberg approaching the size of Greater London has broken away from the Antarctic, close to Britain's Halley research station. Surface instruments on the Brunt Ice Shelf confirmed the split early on Friday. There is currently no-one in the base, so there is no risk to human life.The British Antarctic Survey has been operating Halley in a reduced role since 2017 because of the imminent prospect of a calving.The berg has been measured to cover 1,270 sq km - nearly 490 square miles. Halley is positioned just over 20km from the line of rupture. BAS has an array of GPS devices on the Brunt. These relay information about ice movements back to the agency's HQ in Cambridge. Robots deployed at A68A mega-iceberg remnantsWest Antarctica's Getz glaciers flowing fasterPolar scientists wary of im...

Dec232020 by adminNo Comments

Giant Antarctic iceberg A68a is not done yet

Science

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Dec232020 by adminNo Comments

Giant iceberg A68a shatters into large fragments

Science

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Sep52020 by adminNo Comments

Earth’s ‘lost species’ only the tip of the iceberg

Science

Scientists have calculated how many mammals might be lost this century, based on fossil evidence of past extinctions.Their predictions suggest at least 550 species will follow in the footsteps of the mammoth and sabre-toothed cat.With every "lost species" we lose part of the Earth's natural history, they say.Yet, despite these "grim" projections, we can save hundreds of species by stepping up conservation efforts.The new research, published in the journal Science Advances, suggests that humans are almost entirely responsible for extinctions of mammals in past decades. And rates will escalate in the future if we don't take action now.Despite this "alarming" scenario, we could save hundreds if not thousands of species with more tar...

Feb52020 by adminNo Comments

World’s biggest iceberg makes a run for it

Science

The world's biggest iceberg is about to enter the open ocean.A68, a colossus that broke free from the Antarctic in 2017, has pushed so far north it is now at the limit of the continent's perennial sea-ice.When it calved, the berg had an area close to 6,000 sq km (2,300 sq mi) and has lost very little of its bulk over the past two and a half years.But scientists say A68 will struggle to maintain its integrity when it reaches the Southern Ocean's rougher waters."With a thickness to length ratio akin to five sheets of A4, I am astonished that the ocean waves haven't already made ice cubes out of A68," said Prof Adrian Luckman from Swansea University, UK. "If it survives for long as one piece when i...