Ice shelf collapse: ‘Unknown’ Antarctica still holds surprises

In early March, analysts at the U.S. National Ice Center began to notice changes along the eastern coast of Antarctica. 

First, a large piece of ice, some 13 nautical miles in length, broke off the remnants of an area known as the Glenzer ice shelf. Ice shelves are sections of glacial ice that extend off land and rest on the ocean, and occasionally “calve,” or break apart, to produce icebergs.

Although it’s less common for such an event to take place on the eastern side of Antarctica – the western side is far more dynamic and tends to be the focus of scientists who study glaciers – it is by no means unprecedented, says Christopher Readinger, the Ice Center’s lead Antarctic ice analyst.

He quickly put out a memo, informing sailors and scientists that a newly named iceberg, C-37, was