Ice Shelf in Antarctica Collapses

The mammoth

Larson B Ice Shelf in Antarctica has disintegrated, possibly due to global warming, say scientists. According to a Planet Ark story on March 20, scientists at the British Antarctic Survey predicted four years ago that the ice shelf would eventually disintegrate, but they were “astounded by the speed of the breakup.” The 1,250 square-mile (3,250 km²) ice shelf, which is larger than the state of Rhode Island and 650 feet (200 m) thick, disintegrated in less than a month. Because the ice shelf was already floating, its breakup will not raise sea levels, though its departure could hasten the seaward flow of land-based glaciers in Antarctica, which would raise sea levels. The Antarctic Peninsula has warmed by 4.5˚F (2.5˚C) over the past century—far more than other parts of Antarctica or the rest of the world.