From CNN. NOAA has reported that another
iceburg has broken off of the Ross Ice
Shelf. Named C18,the burg measures a whopping
47x4.6 miles;4 times the size of Manhattan.
(Visions of The Quickening?)
Another iceburg breaks off of Ross Ice Shelf
Moderator: Super Moderators
Breakaway Bergs Disrupt Antarctic Ecosystem
WASHINGTON, DC, May 9, 2002 (ENS) - Another large iceberg has newly calved from the Ross Ice Shelf, the National Ice Center has confirmed. Iceberg C-18 is the latest in a series of bergs to break away from the warming Antarctic ice mass.
National Ice Center analyst Judy Shaffier spotted the new iceberg Sunday while performing a weekly satellite image analysis of the Ross Sea using an image from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. The Ross Ice Shelf is a large sheet of glacial ice and snow extending from the Antarctic mainland into the southern Ross Sea.
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The new icebergs have changed the Antarctic ecosystem, scientists say, blocking sunlight needed for growth of the microscopic plants called phytoplankton that form the underpinning of the entire food web. They are a primary food source for miniscule shrimp-like krill, which in turn are consumed by fish, seals, whales and penguins.
“B-15 broke into smaller pieces that prevented the normal movement of sea ice out of the region,” Arrigo explained. “Sea ice is very effective at blocking light, so the phytoplankton couldn’t grow – there was just too much ice around.“
The lives of penguins in the Ross Sea were disrupted by the enormous bergs. The Ross Sea is home to 25 percent of the world population of Emperor penguins and 30 percent of Adélie penguins.
Environmental News Service
http://ens-news.com/ens/may2002/2002L-05-09-01.html
WASHINGTON, DC, May 9, 2002 (ENS) - Another large iceberg has newly calved from the Ross Ice Shelf, the National Ice Center has confirmed. Iceberg C-18 is the latest in a series of bergs to break away from the warming Antarctic ice mass.
National Ice Center analyst Judy Shaffier spotted the new iceberg Sunday while performing a weekly satellite image analysis of the Ross Sea using an image from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. The Ross Ice Shelf is a large sheet of glacial ice and snow extending from the Antarctic mainland into the southern Ross Sea.
------------------------------------------
The new icebergs have changed the Antarctic ecosystem, scientists say, blocking sunlight needed for growth of the microscopic plants called phytoplankton that form the underpinning of the entire food web. They are a primary food source for miniscule shrimp-like krill, which in turn are consumed by fish, seals, whales and penguins.
“B-15 broke into smaller pieces that prevented the normal movement of sea ice out of the region,” Arrigo explained. “Sea ice is very effective at blocking light, so the phytoplankton couldn’t grow – there was just too much ice around.“
The lives of penguins in the Ross Sea were disrupted by the enormous bergs. The Ross Sea is home to 25 percent of the world population of Emperor penguins and 30 percent of Adélie penguins.
Environmental News Service
http://ens-news.com/ens/may2002/2002L-05-09-01.html