Posted on 08/07/2010 1:58:51 PM PDT by smokingfrog
A giant sheet of ice measuring 260 sq km (100 sq miles) has broken off a glacier in Greenland, according to researchers at a US university.
The block of ice separated from the Petermann Glacier, on the north-west coast of Greenland.
It is the largest Arctic iceberg to calve since 1962, said Prof Andreas Muenchow of the University of Delaware.
The ice could become frozen in place over winter or escape into the waters between Greenland and Canada.
If the iceberg moves south, it could interfere with shipping, Prof Muenchow said.
Cracks in the Petermann Glacier had been observed last year and it was expected that an iceberg would calve from it soon.
The glacier is 1,000 km (620 miles) south of the North Pole.
A researcher at the Canadian Ice Service detected the calving from Nasa satellite images taken early on Thursday, the professor said.
The images showed that Petermann Glacier lost about one-quarter of its 70km-long (43-mile) floating ice shelf.
There was enough fresh water locked up in the ice island to "keep all US public tap water flowing for 120 days," said Prof Muenchow.
He said it was not clear if the event was due to global warming.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
normal activity during summer months??
Someone should warn the Titanic.
Tow it to the US.....before it melts!
And it never will be.
There is always uncertainty in scientific hypotheses. In the AGW case, it is large. But the scientists today don't want you to know that. They want to hide behind demands that the science is settled "consensus".
In other words.....
.....It was about time!
This has happened before and will happen again. It's called NATURE!
Too much ice thickness probably made it too heavy.
“Tow it to the US.....before it melts!”
I say nuke it!;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier_girl
Amen Brother!
In other breaking news, it has been discovered that the giant ice sheet that once covered most of North America has melted.
Send Michelle and her entourage there for their next vacation!
NOOOOO! I want to sell some of it!
“It is the largest Arctic iceberg to calve since 1962,”
So iceberg calving has been at a lower level since then.
What’s going on in South America since it’s winter there? A bunch of people breaking body parts on ski slopes? I heard there was a big snowstorm down there last week.
“In other breaking news, it has been discovered that the giant ice sheet that once covered most of North America has melted.”
...about 12,000 years ago. Next ice age due anytime now!
Used to work with a guy that was going on about the glaciers disappearing from Glacier National Park. I said “Yeah, so?...they disappeared from Kansas, too.” He just looked at me.
“What’s going on in South America since it’s winter there?”
Snow in Brazil, below zero in the River Plate, tropical fish frozen
http://www.iceagenow.com/Snow_in_Brazil-below_zero_in_the_River_Plate-tropical_fish_frozen.htm
6 million dead fish, alligators, turtles and dolphins
floating down Bolivian rivers
http://www.iceagenow.com/6_million_dead_fish_floating_down_Bolivian_rivers.htm
Argentina - Colder Than Antarctica - 3 Aug 10
Peru declares state of emergency - 1 Aug 10
Thousands of animals perish in South America - 20 Jul 10
Peru Declares Cold Wave Emergency in 16 Regions - 25 Jul 10
Cold now extends to Amazon jungle - 21 Jul 10
South America - Longest Cold Streak in 17 years - 21 Jul 10
Death toll reaches 175 in South America - 21 July 10
Brutal and historic cold in South America - Thousands of animals perish - 20 Jul 10
Killer Cold In Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia -18 Jul 10
Record Cold in Argentina - Terrible energy crisis - 16 Jul 10
Argentina in Antarctic cold snap - ‘Southern Hemisphere is freezing’
15 Jul 10
South Africa’s Frost will see vegetable prices rocket- 15 Jul 10
Record Cold At Antarctic Station - 15 Jul 10
Temperature hits record low in Brazil - 15 Jul 10
New Zealand - Mercury plunges to record lows - 14 Jul 10
Australia cold “cutting through the homeless like a silent disease”
http://www.iceagenow.com/2010_Other_Parts_of_the_World.htm
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