Ice shelves are thick slabs of ice that are attached to coastlines and extend out over the ocean. In the natural course of events, ice shelves often calve large icebergs. On February 28, 2008, however, the Wilkins Ice Shelf rapidly disintegrated into small pieces.
Published Mar 27, 2008
Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery analyzed at the University of Colorado’s National Snow and Ice Data Center revealed that the northern section of the Larsen B ice shelf, a large floating ice mass on the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula, has shattered and separated from the continent. This particular image was taken on March 5, 2002.
Published Mar 20, 2002
The northernmost arm of Antarctica is a hotspot of research because its retreating glaciers are a large contributor to sea level rise.
Published Feb 24, 2017
This pair of satellite images shows the dramatic retreat of the Crane Glacier between 2002 and 2003, following the collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf.
Published Apr 8, 2010
Changing weather conditions left their mark on sea ice along the Antarctic Peninsula in late 2008 and early 2009. In mid-December 2008, melt water resting on the sea ice colored it sky blue. At the beginning of 2009, however, the sea ice appeared snowy white, and cracks had begun along the ice margin.
Published Jan 9, 2009
When this closely watched slab of floating ice births a giant iceberg, it will not be the first time it has seen dramatic change.
Published Feb 7, 2017Image of the Day Heat Land Water Snow and Ice Sea and Lake Ice
Cracks growing across the ice shelf are poised to release an iceberg about twice size of New York City.
Published Feb 19, 2019
Rifts form a triple junction along the edge of a giant loose tooth in East Antarctica.
Published Feb 12, 2012
Wave action and glacial dynamics split another chunk of ice off of the Antarctic Peninsula in March 2013.
Published May 25, 2013
Scientists flew over a rift that’s growing across an ice shelf along the Antarctic Peninsula.
Published Dec 13, 2016
The tip of the Antarctic Peninsula showed dramatic seasonal changes in late January 2008. On January 24, 2008, the fast ice looked solidly frozen. Several days later, on January 30, 2008, the ice’s new blue hue suggested something had changed.
Published Feb 6, 2008
n late February 2008, an ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula disintegrated into a floating pile of massive ice bergs, smaller ice fragments, and slush that was trapped in place by freezing sea water over subsequent weeks. This highly detailed image from the Taiwanese Formosat-2 satellite shows the different sizes, shapes, and textures of the ice fragments on March 8, 2008.
Published Mar 28, 2008
This approximately true-color image shows ice fragments left over from previous breakups of the Wilkins Ice Shelf.
Published Apr 19, 2009
A rift along the Larsen C Ice Shelf grew longer during the Antarctic winter.
Published Sep 8, 2016Image of the Day Snow and Ice Remote Sensing Sea and Lake Ice
In January 2020, a vast area of melt formed on the surface of the ice shelf west of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Published Jan 23, 2020
The MODIS instrument on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this clear view of the Antarctic Peninsula, the Larsen Ice Shelf, and the sea ice covered waters around the region in October 2011.
Published Oct 15, 2011
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