Ice Shelf

A big iceberg is about to break off from Antarctica.

It measures 25 miles by 1.5 miles.

The iceberg is located on the southern portion of the peninsula of Wilkins Ice Shelf, one of the biggest ice shelves in Antarctica that has been recently threatened.

A glaciologist who was watching the satellites images of Wilkins ice shelf saw a piece of the shelf about 25 miles by 1.5 miles was breaking off. This poses a danger because now the rest of Wilkins ice shelf is at the risk of collapsing. Wilkins Ice shelf is about the size of Northern Ireland!

The problem with icebergs breaking off is sea level rises. If all land ice melted, sea level would rise up to 230 feet.

According to this article from 2005, a study found that 84 percent of Antarctica’s glaciers were retreating in the last 50 years because of a warmer climate. In that past 50 years, Antarctica had warmed up over 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here are facts taken from MSN:
-Glaciers is where about 75 percent of the world’s fresh water is stored.
-Antarctica ice is more than 2.4 miles thick in some areas.
-Almost 10 percent of Earth’s land is covered with glaciers.
-During the Last ice Age, 32 percent of Earth’s land was covered with glaciers.

To read the entire article click here.