An Iceberg the Size of Milwaukee Just Broke Off In Antarctica
On the morning of May 20, something big happened. Literally, very big. A chunk of the Brunt Ice Shelf broke off — but not just any little chunk. This iceberg was 147 square miles. For context, here’s the size of Milwaukee, a place I chose solely because it is relatively close in size. Milwaukee is around 97 square miles. In those miles, 1.57 million people live.
As you probably know, ice shelves and glaciers in general aren’t doing so well right now. Just a few days ago, an alarming report about the ominously nick-named Doomsday Glacier told us that sea water was actually running underneath it, causing it to move up and down with the tides. It got its nickname because it holds enough ice to raise global sea levels by two to 10 feet, depending on which research you’re reading. It’s enormous in size, about 80 miles wide, and it’s been the focus of worry for years.
Anyway, the latest hunk of ice developed a crack in early May. Researchers keeping an eye on these things were slightly alarmed, and they watched as it grew into a gaping canyon nearly 10 miles long.
It looks like Halley is “only” about 10km from the sea now. Will it have to be moved again?
— Nick Forwood (@PhysicsNick) May 22, 2024
When an ice sheet breaks off, if it’s big enough, it gets its own name. This one is called “A-83,” which is not particularly exciting. The British Antarctic Survey (which was watching the crack as it formed) realizes how boring it is, and they’ve called on the public to think of a better one.
“This iceberg is destined to be called #A83,” they wrote, “but we think in honor of its sudden appearance, it deserves an extra name.”
Sadly, whatever the masses come up with won’t be official.
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