Environment

7-square-mile ice sheet breaks loose in Canada

by steve468 | July 30, 2008 at 06:55 am

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EDMONTON, Alberta - A chunk of ice spreading across seven square miles has broken off a Canadian ice shelf in the Arctic, scientists said Tuesday.

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BAH (not verified)

at 10:27 on July 30th, 2008

Oh Crap! Global warming for sure!

Amy Judd

at 11:42 on July 30th, 2008

However, it should be noted that scientists are saying this is not a product of global warming, but instead backs up the theory that the current Arctic climate isn't rebuilding its ice sheets. The sheet broke away last week, after a crack first appeared in 2002.

The sheet is the biggest piece shed by one of Canada's six ice shelves since the Ayles shelf broke loose in 2005 from the coast of Ellesmere, about 500 miles from the North Pole.

Formed by accumulating snow and freezing meltwater, ice shelves are large platforms of thick, ancient sea ice that float on the ocean's surface. Ellesmere Island was once entirely ringed by a single enormous ice shelf that broke up in the early 1900s.

At 170 square miles and 130-feet thick, the Ward Hunt shelf is the largest of those remnants.

This kind of activity is no longer a mystery or a surprise to scientists.

Gary Stern, co-leader of an international research program on sea ice, said it's the same story all around the Arctic.

Speaking from the Coast Guard icebreaker Amundsen in Canada's north, Stern said the Ward Hunt breakup is related to what he's seeing thousands of kilometers away.

He hasn't seen any ice in weeks. Plans to set up an ice camp last February had to be abandoned when usually dependable ice didn't form for the second year in a row.

SOLARLIFE

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 11:57 on July 30th, 2008

steve468, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Chesschameleon

at 14:57 on July 30th, 2008

Photo by: Daniel J Diedrich
It is from Iceland at Jokulsarlon from July 13, 08.
Glaciers are retreating on the ice caps in Iceland.

Chesschameleon has contributed a photo to this story.

Betty R

at 16:56 on July 30th, 2008

This bird is taking it easy! The iceberg was from the South Sawyer Glacier near Juneau Alaska.

Betty R has contributed a photo to this story.

MarthaRiley

at 18:06 on July 30th, 2008

We had a great big snow storm in late December 2006 in New Mexico. Last week we had 9 inches of rain in a couple of days in the southeastern portion of the state. The storms are definitely unusual in their intensity and the amount of moisture. The weather is clearly being implacted.

MarthaRiley has contributed a photo to this story.

norvegia2005sara

at 01:36 on July 31st, 2008

I was a woman living her dream!
Visit the Glacier Vatnajokull was an emotion .It's the biggest glacier of Europe ,it's wide almost like the french island of Corse.
Vatnajokull Lagoon appears on the road ,when you are travelling around the south of Iceland! and it hits you..there is a unique peace.you can hear just the flooting -smelting noises .
Icebergs reflect on the Water ,each piece if ice has a different color..the air is tiny and so fresh..
you can feel like an intruder in this nature sanctuary!

norvegia2005sara has contributed a photo to this story.

The Magical Adventures of SJ and Brett...

at 10:37 on July 31st, 2008

This was one of the huge floating Ice bergs we saw during a glaicer trip in El Calafate, Argetnina ...a truely amazing sight!

The Magical Adventures of SJ and Brett... has contributed a photo to this story.

Minkum

at 10:47 on July 31st, 2008

Seeing a glacier up close is one of the most amazing things I have ever done. I feel fortunate to see the glacier and icebergs and worry about losing this beauty and all that comes with it.

Minkum has contributed a photo to this story.