10,000-year-old antarctic ice shelf is disintegrating
According to new research by NASA, the Larsen B Ice Shelf, located in Antarctica, will likely break apart completely within the next five years.Scientists have identified signs of an impending disintegration which include the appearance of major cracks, evidence of fragmentation, and increased water flow around the area.
It was earlier believed the ice shelf was stable, because conditions only shifted slightly after a collapse in 2002, but recent measurements show changes happening more rapidly.
Certain glacier sections have shrunk by 65 to 72 feet in thickness, and the flow rate in one part has become 36 percent faster.
Estimated to be over 10,000 years old, Larsen B is currently 625 square miles in size and about 1,640 feet deep at its thickest point.
Check out the gallery below for more amazing images of icebergs:
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