Saturday, May 26, 2007

Manhattan ice island found 50 kms offshore

The first major ice-shelf calving in 25 years, in 2005, from the Ayles Ice Shelf in the Arctic, is slightly thicker than anticipated; Between 42-45m (138-148ft) - the equivalent of the height of a 10-storey building.

That's the good news.
clipped from news.bbc.co.uk

Scientists in the Arctic have just carried out the first research on a huge iceberg the size of Manhattan.
Some 16km long and 5km wide (10x3 miles), Ayles Ice Island broke away from the Canadian Arctic coast in 2005, but has only recently been identified.

Researchers have now landed on the giant berg with a BBC team and planted a tracking beacon on its surface. This will allow the island's progress to be monitored as currents push it around the Arctic Ocean.


Ice drill (BBC)

The team wants to know why this Ice Island formed

For 3,000 years, this colossal block of ice was securely fixed to the coast as part of the Ayles Ice Shelf - but now it is drifting free.

Its current location is about 600km (400 miles) from the North Pole, in what is one of the fastest warming regions on Earth.

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