The world’s largest iceberg has broken the floating ice in Antarctica

The world’s largest iceberg, the size of half of the island of Corsica, separated on Wednesday May 19 from the Rhone sea ice in Antarctica, according to satellite imagery. European program Copernicus. Since then, the huge chunk of ice in the Weddell Sea has vanished.

The glacier named A-76 is approximately 170 kilometers long and 25 kilometers wide, with a total area of ​​4,320 square kilometers. It was originally spotted by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), a British polar research organization, which has a base nearby.

The natural ice cycle

according to English speaking magazine Live Science, This event should not have an impact at sea level, because the ice pack separated by the A-76 was already floating. The American Information Support Center for Polar Research (NSIDC) also explained that Antarctica, which It heats up at a faster rate From the rest of the planet, it contains enough ice to raise the global sea level by 60 meters. Its scientists believe that climate change, triggered by human activity, did not cause the iceberg to separate, nor from its predecessor, A-74, which broke off in February.

“ A-76 and A-74 are part of the natural cycle of the ice floe, from which no majestic piece has separated for decades. ”BAS Researcher Laura Gresh explained On Twitter. “It is important to monitor the frequency of iceberg formation, but this one is [A-76 et A-74] And it was expected “She also explained.

Up until the A-76, the record for the largest iceberg in the world was held by the A-23A, a 3,880 sq km iceberg drifting in the Weddell Sea, according to the European Space Agency.