Story at a glance
- An iceberg measuring 4,320 sq km has calved off from Antarctica’s Ronne Ice Shelf, making it the world’s largest iceberg.
- The European Space Agency said Wednesday the enormous iceberg, dubbed A-76, surpassed the previous record holder by more than a thousand square kilometers.
- Iceberg calving is part of a natural cycle and is not believed to be caused by global warming, and the iceberg will not lead to a rise in sea level once it melts.
An iceberg measuring 4,320 sq. km has calved off from Antarctica’s Ronne Ice Shelf making it the world’s largest iceberg.
The European Space Agency (ESA) said Wednesday the enormous iceberg, dubbed A-76, surpassed the previous record holder by more than a thousand square kilometers. The A-23A iceberg, which broke off in January, measured at 3,880 sq. km. Both are floating in the Weddell Sea.
“The iceberg is around 170 km in length and 25 km wide, and is slightly larger than the Spanish island of Majorca,” according to the agency.
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Iceberg calving is part of a natural cycle and is not believed to be caused by global warming, and the iceberg will not lead to a rise in sea level once it melts. This differentiates icebergs from glaciers and ice sheets.
ESA credited the sighting of A-76 to Keith Makinson with the British Antarctic Survey. It was then confirmed from the U.S. National Ice Center using images from Copernicus Sentinel-1, according to ESA. The Agency said the mission provides year round data, day or night, from remote regions.
Icebergs are typically named by the Antarctic quadrant from which they originate then given a sequential number. If the iceberg breaks, it is then given a sequential letter, according to ESA.
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